Planter technology has improved dramatically over the years, and the cost of new machines has increased substantially. But many believe farmers save in the long run.

“They want to increase that productivity, slide more acres into that optimized planting window,” said David Brennan, planter marketing manager at Case IH. “You get basically a free yield bump by doing that. You don’t get caught with the rain or whatever and have two weeks where you’re sitting on the sideline.”

With relatively high row crop prices and government support payments in response to the coronavirus pandemic over the last two years, dealers say many farmers have been looking to upgrade equipment, both new and used.

Dennis Blair, sales rep for the Ag-Power John Deere dealer in Richmond, Mo., says demand for new equipment has been robust.

There are many ways to go about planting a corn field, but bucking the trend of 30-inch rows could be beneficial.

Recent research from Iowa State University shows some farmers are taking an increased interest in 20-inch rows. Mark Licht, Extension cropping system specialist, wrote that the narrow-row practice has shown improvement of light interception during pollination and overall yield increases.

It’s no secret that anhydrous ammonia prices have skyrocketed in recent months. The only real questions were how high those prices would go and whether the product would be available to farmers at any price.

As the calendar turns to March and farmers’ thoughts start to turn to spring planting, the short answers appear to be that the product is available, but it is going to cost plenty.

Agricultural markets were ruled by uncertainty at February’s close, and the growing season is likely to see a lot of volatility.

USDA market and trade economist Michael McConnell said on Feb. 25 at the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum that much of the uncertainty comes from ongoing geopolitical conflict, the pandemic, inflation and supply chain pressures.

It may seem odd for a farmer to go to a seed company’s research plots to learn about the profitability of lower seeding rates, new planting equipment or nitrogen trials.

But this is exactly what farmers are doing as they take advantage of research and information programs some agricultural companies provide. These companies often do research that doesn’t necessarily relate to the products they sell.

Knowing the soil is one of the most important aspects of planting preparation.

Determining how productive a field could be and where to best apply fertilizer are just two of the questions that can be answered with an early spring reading of the soil.