By Doug Houser

During my discussions with farmers, most agree that there are three planter-efficiency options they are considering for the 2025 planting season. They include:

Where to invest?

Selecting which option to try is difficult, particularly when coupled with technology that’s advancing at an extreme pace. Here are some planter technologies available for farmers in 2025:

Downforce systems. Active downforce control has been researched and demonstrated to optimize good seed-to-soil contact. The key is to create the seed furrow with the structure that holds it open while placing the seed in the bottom of the furrow. Therefore, it is critical to get the correct amount of downforce on the planter to offset the other planter forces. 

Those who want to limit their spending this year can start by installing a few downforce load pins on their planter. This can get some data on the amount of variance the planter is experiencing while planting.

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Electric drive seed meters. Electric drive seed meters provide better seed spacing and singulation, in addition to more precise control over row units. They also have the ability to easily shut off individual rows and perform variable rate seeding.

The electric meter also provides turn compensation for the planter. It gives the ability to slow down the meter on the inside of the turn and speed up on the outside in order to maintain a consistent population.

The high-speed delivery setup includes a high-speed seed-delivery system that controls the delivery of the seed to the bottom of the furrow. Rather than the meter releasing seed at the top of a drop tube, these high-speed systems capture and carry the seed down to the furrow. These systems are synchronized with the planter’s ground speed that allows you to plant at higher speeds and still ensure good seed spacing and singulation. These systems can come at a cost but are necessary if you’re interested in planting at speeds of 8 mph or more.

Like other planter upgrades, there are a lot of different manufacturers that offer electric seed meters. It is recommended to start with your local precision equipment dealer to get more information on what is available for your planter. 

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Adjustable row cleaners. How many times have you had to stop your tractor, get out of the cab and adjust your row cleaners? One way to boost efficiency is to purchase row cleaners that you can adjust from the cab. This can improve your running time and nix the downtime that comes from stopping planting to adjust row cleaners.

Closing wheels. Would different closing wheels improve uniform plant emergence? This is a topic that many farmers discuss and investigate at the Farm Progress Show or local equipment shows every year. Therefore, an efficiency item to consider is borrowing a different type of closing wheel that one of your neighboring farmers has used in the past. You also could purchase a few row units to try on a field or two to obtain some agronomic data.

The key is to set your planter monitors to record the rows that have the different closing wheels so you can separate the data after harvest (such as data from a split planter test).

Summary

Adding efficiency items to your planter starts with understanding why you want to make changes. The goal is to get the seed planted at the correct rate, in the correct furrow structure and at the right time.

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Recommendations for how to set high-speed planters are available online. There’s also a planter maintenance checklist for this spring.

Whether you are considering changing planters or adding a few items to make your planter more efficient, now is the time to start this process. One way is by talking to your local precision equipment dealer.

Houser is an Iowa State University Extension digital agriculture specialist.