At the start of 2024, Beck’s introduced a new decision-making tool designed to help customers answer the age-old question, “When should I start planting?” This tool, called Ready2Plant™, is a collection of resources within FARMserver® that helps forecast when one or more fields will be in optimal conditions for planting. It considers factors such as air temperature, rainfall, field accessibility, and a proprietary mix of other variables to estimate the ideal time to start or stop planting in each field.
For the 2025 planting season, Beck’s has added several new feature enhancements to the Ready2Plant tool. This updated version is designed to enhance the functionality of the original tool by adding key features requested by those in the field.
One of the key features we’re excited to highlight in Ready2Plant for 2025 is the ability to view a R2P future forecast for a field or farm without needing to click into each individual field.
As shown in Figure 1, you can hover over each field to see a 7-day planting outlook, or you can adjust the forecast date for all fields in the map view by simply selecting and changing the date on the left-hand side. This provides two convenient ways to access forecast information directly from the Field Maps layer (Figure 1.)
In addition to viewing the Ready2Plant data layer, you’ll also be able to toggle to the Field Access data layer. This feature lets you see both the field level and 7-day forecast information in one convenient view, providing a comprehensive look at the conditions and forecasts for your fields all in one spot (Figure 2.)
In the Field Focus section of FARMserver, we’ve added the ability to view Ready2Plant data on an hour-by-hour basis at the field level. This feature complements the Field Access layer well, which was previously the only way to view this detailed information.
Additionally, the Ready2Plant graph now includes the option to toggle daylight hours on or off for that specific time frame, giving you even more control over the data you see (Figure 3.)
Another significant update for the 2025 planting season is the addition of the National Crop Insurance date. You can find this date on the FARMserver homepage by clicking on the “Learn More” hyperlink. This is the date when you’ll begin receiving Ready2Plant notifications via text or email. This date is farm specific and may vary depending on your field’s location (Figure 4.)
All Ready2Plant notifications are valid for conditions in the future 12 to 24 hours. For example, if you are planting while conditions are 72 degrees and sunny, and you suddenly get a Ready2Plant Notification that says “Stop,” that means forecasted weather conditions over the next 12 to 24 hours could be detrimental for planting.
Deciding when to plant can be challenging because it’s not only about today. It’s also about the next several days because that window of time has a profound impact on emergence and stand establishment. Jim Schwartz, Beck’s Director of Research, Agronomy, and PFR said “Planting a field depends on the soil moisture and conditions FIRST and the temperature second. Conditions may be fit to plant but not for crops to germinate and emerge. Obtaining uniform emergence over a 24-hour period is critical for high yields, and the Ready2Plant tool removes the guesswork from the equation.”
Feel free to reach out to your area FARMserver representative or contact FARMserver support at 317.565.4120 or at Support@Farmserver.com
Brad Chubb | Regional Precision Technology Specialist