A planter was once considered successful if it placed seed in the ground. Today, success hinges on giving seeds the best chance to emerge uniformly. Technology is now available that lets the farmer control what’s happening row by row, and even creates a record of what the machine did.

How much technology can you afford? Which technologies might give you the biggest edge with your particular soils and conditions? Answering those questions is your challenge.

Here’s a look at some of the latest planter technology available from major players in the equipment business. This is not an all-inclusive list:

Case IH. The Case IH 2000 Series Early Riser planters feature electric-drive row units that offer row-by-row control. DeltaForce from Precision Planting is available to provide individual-row downforce control across the planter, spokespeople say. The planter can be equipped with CleanSweep, also from Precision Planting, for residue management. An air tank mounted on the planter is required to provide air for pneumatic control of the CleanSweep system.

New for 2020 is model 2160, featuring a 24-47 split-row configuration for planting corn or soybeans. For monitor controls, the Pro 700 Advanced Seed Information (ASI) system monitor is available from the factory. The planter will also work with a Precision Planting 20/20 monitor. High-definition mapping capability is available, and new for 2020, the monitor system can connect to Climate FieldView, increasing mapping capabilities.   

Great Plains. The PL5700 model planter is available in 12- or 16-row configurations and features flexibility, notes Michael Feldman, product specialist for Great Plains. It’s available with what Great Plains calls individual-row control (IRC), electric-drive, positive air row units, which operate differently than vacuum units. Hydraulic and ground-drive options for planter units are available.

Choose from individual 3-bushel hoppers for seed or two central-fill tanks. The planter is also designed to apply liquid fertilizer and can be equipped with 400- or 600-gallon tanks.

The 5000 Series features enlarged seed pools where seed goes into each row unit. This change in technology makes it easier to run higher rates of seed, especially at higher speeds. The planter can operate up to 8.5 miles per hour.

Horsch. Spokespeople say the newest Horsch planting technology features all electric drives with row-by-row control. The planter was designed from the ground up to maintain furrow integrity, achieve proper seed placement and time delivery of seed properly. AutoForce is available as an option to maintain equal pressure on row units.

Engineers paid special attention to minimizing soil compaction potential that could be caused by the planter. Tire spacing and sizing helps accomplish this goal. Much of the weight rests on the toolbar.

John Deere. John Deere includes some of its latest planter technology under the ExactEmerge name, notes Ryan Hough, marketing manager for planting and seeding. “You can get electric-drive row units, and basically, if it’s a 16-row planter, you’re tracking 16 one-row planters,” Hough says.

In fact, you can use electric-drive technology to test each row unit using seed you will plant before you go to the field, he adds. You no longer need a test stand to measure accuracy.

Deere offers a hydraulic downforce, row-by row option called individual row hydraulic downforce (IRHD). And if you’re interested in high-speed planting, you can set up the ExactEmerge configuration to perform accurately from 4 to 10 miles per hour, he says. It uses a planting tube with brushes to deliver each seed into the seed trench.

If you have air on your planter, pneumatic air bags over the closing wheels on each individual row are an option, Hough says. The goal is to deliver proper pressure on the closing wheels.  

At the same time, Deere introduced the 1745 model planter, an eight-row planter with a simple design available for order later this year, Hough says. Buy a ground-driven model or scale up to the technology and monitoring used on many planters today.   

Kinze. If you’re after efficiency and productivity, Eric Broadbent with Kinze suggests considering Kinze’s Blue Drive, True Rate technology, featuring electric planter drives. Set it up with a high-speed planting tube so you can plant successfully at speeds varying from 3 to 12 miles per hour, he says.

Kinze offers its own version of hydraulic downforce called True Depth. Because it works through hydraulics, no air system is required on the planter for this function.

Kinze is also making improvements to its Blue Vantage planter monitor system, Broadbent says. The monitor shows singulation and performance information, plus much more.

“It has a complete history of your fields, sorted by date,” he says. “Say you get rained out of a soybean field. When you go back, the monitor will open to that field and display your exact settings when you planted last.”

Starting in 2021, the system will have a trip counter feature much like in a car, he adds. Suppose you replace planter disc openers. Set a note in the counter and track acres of wear on the new openers, he says.

White. The beauty of the White 9800 Series planter, available in 12-,16- or 24-row, 30-inch spacing, is that you can equip it with as much technology as you want, says Larry Kuster, product marketing specialist for Agco. The planter comes with Precision Planting’s vSet electric-drive row units. Because Precision Planting is also an Agco-owned company, you can add optional DeltaForce hydraulic, row-by-row downforce control.

“This system can either apply down pressure or lift row units if necessary,” Kuster explains. “Each row unit has a weigh pin, and when gauge wheels hit a certain point, based on how you have the system set, it signals the cylinder to make an adjustment.”

White row units come ready to attach Keeton seed firmers or Precision Planting SmartFirmers if you choose. SmartFirmers use electronic sensors to measure different variables, including soil temperature, relative moisture and amount of residue in the seed trench. The information is displayed on the monitor in the cab.

Precision Planting introduced FurrowForce, a two-stage closing wheel system which requires air to maintain pressure on closing wheels. You can order a White planter without closing wheels, and your dealer can install FurrowForce before the planter is delivered, Kuster says. It’s a limited introduction this year, with a complete rollout expected in 2021.

Check out the slideshow to see photos of these features and technologies.