Wallaces Farmer

As advances have been made in all facets of farming, new planter technologies have taken off over the last decade and now include electric drive.

Industry Voice by

August 15, 2019

2 Min Read
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Blue Drive electric drive provides consistent seed spacing on curves in the field improving yield potential.

Ground driven corn planters have been around since the dawn of modern machinery and have served the ag industry well for decades. As advances have been made in all facets of farming, new planter technologies have taken off over the last decade and now include electric drive.

Kinze product specialist Brad Niensteadt says electric drive provides many advantages over mechanical ground contact or hydraulic drive systems. These include:

  • Ease of use – Electric drive enables farmers to change populations on the go instantly from the cab or via a prescription map. Also, there’s no need to engage meter drive clutches to turn meters on or to remove meters from the row unit.


  • Enhanced shut-off performance – Single row shut-off and compensation for row unit set-backs and split rows provide exact placement of every seed.


  • Row-by-row control – "Farmers have the ability to change seeding rates row by row when using a prescription map to maximize the return on prescription development," Niensteadt explains. "Each row can be set for an individual rate for seed corn applications."


  • Curve compensation – Curve compensation independently adjusts every row, providing accurate, consistent seed spacing and row population reducing over- or under-planting. The result is reduced input costs and increased yield potential.


  • Lower maintenance costs – With electric drive, there are no chains, so no need to worry about bad chains causing population or spacing issues, and no need for replacement or inspection of chains, bearings, couplers or sprockets.

    Niensteadt says it is also easier to get the planter ready for storage. Meter clean out and seed disc removal are the only metering requirements needing attention. Fewer items make power washing easier at the end of the planting season, he adds.

Kinze Blue Drive™

The new Blue Drive electric drive system was designed by Kinze for Kinze – one manufacturer for all components and software updates. Other benefits include an industry-leading Ethernet that provides faster, more reliable connectivity, and individual row modules that monitor and control each individual row unit. Fewer moving parts – no chains, drive shafts, clutches or gearboxes – reduce maintenance and repairs. Blue Drive integrates seamlessly with the new, easy-to-use Kinze Blue Vantage™ display to analyze crucial planting data.

To learn more, contact your Kinze dealer, visit Kinze.com or stop by Kinze exhibit #939 at the 2019 Farm Progress Show Aug. 27-29 in Decatur, Illinois.

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