As planters begin to roll across the countryside, most of us find ourselves asking the same question: “Is that field ready to plant?” Fortunately, within FARMserver®, there is a tool designed to help answer exactly that.
Three years ago, Beck’s introduced Ready2Plant™, a data-backed tool that forecasts whether fields in your operation are fit for planting. It uses a proprietary combination of weather and agronomic factors, including past and forecasted rainfall, air temperature, soil moisture, and field accessibility, to generate a Ready2Plant status for each field. These statuses are visible across multiple pages within FARMserver, making it easy to stay informed.
When you first log into FARMserver, you’ll see a dashboard tile that groups fields under either “Plant” or “Stop.” If a field shows “Plant” but you know it’s not actually ready to plant, you can mark it as “Unable” and provide a reason. This feedback helps refine the tool and improve future forecasts.
On the Field Map page, you can view a 7-day forecast for each field. Each field boundary is marked with a green or red icon, indicating its Ready2Plant status. Hovering over the icon reveals more detailed forecast information.
At the bottom of the field list, you can also enable the “Field Access” data layer, which is useful when the planter may not be ready, but pre-plant field operations still need to be completed.
You can also access Ready2Plant forecasts within the “Field Focus” view for each field. In the Weather Charts section, you’ll find an hourly Ready2Plant forecast, along with Field Access information. This view allows you to toggle daylight hours on or off. Like the Dashboard, you also can mark and give a reason if this field is unable to be planted.
For added convenience, you can enable text or email notifications to stay updated on your fields’ Ready2Plant status without needing to log in. These notifications are based on upcoming conditions (typically the next day), so if you receive a “STOP” alert while planting, it means the model is predicting unfavorable conditions ahead. Notification timing is aligned with the crop insurance planting date tied to your FARMserver account.
Ready2Plant is designed to work alongside your farming experience and knowledge. It’s a tool to help you make more confident, informed planting decisions.
If you have questions, reach out to your local FARMserver representative or contact FARMserver Support at 317-565-4120.
Beck’s FARMserver Team