Planter University will return in 2025. Dates, location and registration details will be released Fall 2024.

Planter University a brand-neutral learning opportunity to help you continue to better understand and optimize your planting setup, no matter what color you run. The focus won't be on telling you what settings you should be running, but rather the theory behind planting equipment and new planting technology allowing you to evaluate and identify the right setting for you, your seed, your field, and your equipment setup. Registration is limited to allow for hands on demonstrations with both high speed and traditional row unit demo stands.


Objectives

  • Gain a better understanding of how planter downforce systems function. Understand their theory of operation, limitations, and considerations for making adjustments in the field.
  • Understand differences in how high speed planters should be set compared to conventional planters to obtain maximum performance at high speeds.
  • Gain confidence in evaluating wear components on your planter and when to replace them. Understand how to check, adjust and/or calibrate your row units for proper seeding depth.
  • Gain insights into how your seedbed conditions and preparation impacts planter row unit performance.
  • Better understand what data planters today can generate and how to better utilize it on your farming operation.

Who should attend?

  • Farmers interested in continuing to learn about and optimize their current planter or farmers who are considering upgrading planters in the future.
  • Farmers with high speed planters interested in continuing to refine how the set their planter to optimize performance.
  • Crop input dealers or other service providers that depend on proper seed planting to ensure performance of their products.
  • Equipment or precision ag dealers and technicians interested in continuing to broaden their knowledge and understanding of how planters function and the agronomic implications associated with planting.

Program (example from 2024 program)

Time Presentation
8:30 am Registration check-in opens, morning refreshments
9:00 Welcome and introductions
9:10 Review of 2023 conditions and improving for 2024
9:30 Basics of planter downforce
10:30

Rotation 1 - divide into 2 groups

  • Topic A - Full Seed Ahead: Optimizing your planter with todays technology solutions, including simple upgrades all the way to highs peed planting.
  • Topic B - Back to the Basics: The importance of Maintenance, calibration and seedbed prep.
11:45 Lunch (provided)
12:15 pm Rotation 2 - groups switch to 2nd topic from 10:30 session.
1:30 Furrow fundamentals - Tips and tricks to evaluate the furrow and make planter adjustments
2:30 Program adjourns

Instructors

Ben Covington

Benjamin Covington
Technical project specialist
ISU Digital Ag

Levi Powell

Levi Powell
Technical project specialist
ISU Digital Ag