Planting season is only a few months away and farmers across the Midwest are excited to get back in the fields. Low commodity prices, however, have left many searching for new ways to reduce input costs while still increasing yields. But what if we told you there was an input cost that was truly worthwhile? What if we told you that could spend money but still see positive yield gains?

With their closing wheel studies, Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR)^® team continues to evaluate not only which closing wheels are right for area-specific farms, but which systems continue to provide increased yields over the industry standard two solid rubbers. The purpose of these studies is to determine what effect different closing wheel types have on plant emergence and yield.

This study has been conducted across four sites in the Midwest over the last three years. By targeting unfavorable planting conditions, Beck’s PFR tests claims from the various manufacturers that their closing wheels will offer farmers the flexibility of earlier planting dates, when soil conditions and no-till scenarios are less than desirable.

Beck’s Ohio PFR closing wheel study included two solid rubbers as the control, two Dawn Curventines™, one Dawn Curventine and one solid, one Yetter spike and one solid, and two Yetter spikes with drag chain. Early in the season, the treatment of two Dawn Curventines produced more uniform plants and a healthier looking plant stand. Yield results however indicated the greatest increase was with one Dawn Curventine and one solid, which delivered a 2.7 Bu./A. increase. This was followed by two Dawn Curventines which showed a 2.0 Bu./A. increase. The three-year average for closing wheels at this location has shown that two Yetter spikes with the drag chain consistently produce the greatest yield advantage.

Closing wheels were also tested at the Indiana PFR location in a no-till system. At this location, treatments of two Schaffert Zippers^™, two Cast Irons, two Pro Stitches, two Copperhead Ag Furrow Cruisers®, and two SI Distributing Finger-Till Wheels were compared against the control of two solid rubbers. This study demonstrated that in a no-till system, more aggressive closing wheels increased yields. This is believed to be the result of greater seed-to-soil contact and a greater established stand. The two-year data from this site favors the Copperhead Ag Furrow Cruisers^® in a no-till scenario.

Two-years of no-till data at the Kentucky PFR location has shown that the closing wheel systems that work with a pressing action are not the most advantageous. In 2016, treatments of two SI Distributing Finger-Till Wheels, one Martin Spade & one solid, and two Copperhead Ag Furrow Cruisers were evaluated against a control of two solid rubbers. When compared to the control, the system with one Martin Spade and one solid consistently increased yields with an advantage of 5.8 Bu./A. in 2016 and an average increase of
9.2 Bu./A. over two years. The systems containing two Copperhead Ag Furrow Cruisers and two
SI Distributing Finger-Till Wheels also delivered increased yields at the Kentucky PFR site.

These studies all support the claim that alternative closing wheel setups consistently outperform the industry standard two solid rubber closing wheels. In fact, almost every closing wheel at each of the four PFR sites provided a yield advantage over the control. In 2016 alone, 11 different systems were evaluated for their ability to crumble sidewall compaction, increase seed-to-soil contact and improve stand establishment. In almost every scenario, the more aggressive closing wheel systems outperformed the control. If you are looking to plant early or in a no-till scenario, it may be time to evaluate your closing wheel configuration. Consult your trusted advisor to determine which system is right for your operation.

Practical Farm Research (PFR)^® is a registered trademark of Beck’s Superior Hybrids, Inc. Curvetine™ is a trademark of Dawn Equipment Company. Furrow Cruiser® is a registered trademark of Copperhead Agricultural Products, LLC.