Variable Rate Seeding for Efficient Crop Production

No matter what crop or livestock farmers produce, they all have one thing in common — to maximize yields and production while reducing input costs. For crop farmers, this is achieved through gaining more information about their fields, often through precision agriculture.

Precision agriculture can provide countless data points for farmers and landowners — ranging from what areas in a field are nitrogen deficient to topographical mapping. These pieces of information can be used to solve problems in the field and accurately place the optimal level of fertilizer and the correct seeding rate.

Variable rate seeding takes precision agriculture to the next level. Similar to variable rate fertilizer, where the exact fertilizer requirements are placed throughout the field, variable rate seeding identifies the different levels of productivity throughout the field and seeds according to yield potential. This will maximize returns in the most profitable areas of the field while decreasing seed costs — farmers won’t have to utilize as much seed in areas that won’t generate as much profit.

“As farmers get more comfortable applying precision agriculture in their operation, they will keep looking for more ways to leverage the technology to maximize profits while controlling input costs even further,” says Patrick Lynch, Certified Crop Advisor. “The potential benefits of variable rate seeding in terms of limiting the input costs of seed can lead to a serious economic benefit for farmers.” Farmers can get familiar with variable rate seeding during a live demonstration at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. At the demonstration, farmers will be able to see a variety of planters and drills in action, as well as the result of variable rate seeding with seeds planted three weeks prior to show the operation and result simultaneously.

The Variable Rate Seeding Demonstration will take place daily at 1:30 p.m. in the Southwest Demo Field.