March is almost here and spring is right around the corner! During your spring preparations, we wanted to remind you of a few tools in FARMserver to help make things go smoother once your finally get to put that planter in the ground.
The Management Zone Creator is a great tool to use when designing variable rate planting or application recommendations. Use your historic yield data, soil types, elevation, soil test results, or any combination of those layers to build the zones in your field, assign the rate you need for each zone, and if you have the space, throw in a couple of test blocks to check your agronomics. Before you export those zones to the monitor, take advantage of the Report feature and review the Reports for each field to ensure accuracy.
With Reports in hand, you’re ready to export to the monitor. FARMserver has exporting capabilities to all makes and monitors so no matter what kind of monitor you’re using to variable rate your seed, FARMserver has a format for that. It’s always good to know what version your monitor is on before exporting prescriptions. It’s also good practice to use a clean flash drive when you copy over that unzipped folder with your scripts. Different monitors look for different folder names and structures so don’t be afraid to call your equipment dealership if you have questions on what your monitor needs.
If you’re not variable rating your fields but are searching for some kind of recordkeeping options for plating, the Go To Field Reports and the Summary Report in the Seed Plan are excellent options! Once you assign seed to each field, the Go To Field Report will generate one map per field with a picture of the map, the planned hybrid, planting population, relative maturity, and total units needed for that field. A Notes box at the bottom of the page provides plenty of room for you to record important information during planting including depth, soil temperature, and other conditions. Don’t forget to record the planting date!
Having a plan and the recordkeeping system to go with it takes time but it will pay off in the long run. When planting season is in full swing, efficiency is important. Use these tools mentioned above along, with other features in FARMserver, to help increase your efficiency in the field this year.
By Sheila Downey | Regional Precision Technology Specialist