Crops:The Lynch File: Rising seed costs and better seeding equipment put more emphasis on seed drop

Producers who can capitalize on better seed placement can make $5 to $10 an acre more than those who drop high seed rates

by PAT LYNCH

I have just left a grower with whom I talked about seeding rates of corn, beans and wheat.    

Grower: “How come the scout report says that there are over 175,000 plants per acre, some places over 180,000, when all I dropped was 180,000.”

Answer: “It could be that the scout made an error in the method of calculating populations. The standard size of the hoola hoop may not be accurate. Or it is possible that you were dropping more than you thought. The stand sure looks thick.”

Better Farming - December 2008