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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #306403
Title: Performance of planter meters for cotton

Author
item FULTON, J - Auburn University
item Balkcom, Kipling
item VIRK, S - Auburn University
item PATE, G - Auburn University
item HALL, M - Auburn University

Submitted to: Agricultural Experiment Station Publication
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/18/2013
Publication Date: 1/13/2014
Citation: Fulton, J., Balkcom, K.S., Virk, S., Pate, G., Hall, M. 2014. Performance of planter meters for cotton. 2013 Cotton Research Report, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Research Report No. 43. P. 33. Available at http://www.aces.edu/anr/crops/Cotton%20Bulletin/CottonBulletinTofC.php

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Components and technology offerings to improve planter performance continue to increase. In particular, new row-meter parts allow units to improve what is called singulation (e.g. reducing skips and doubles) assuming the vacuum pressure is properly set. To help understand the value of all this new technology, a planter meter test stand was acquired to evaluate setups and help establish guidelines for Alabama cotton farmers. The test stand provided the ability to quantify actual seed metering in terms of population, seed spacing, skips and multiples over a range of meter RPMs and vacuum pressures. Data was collected from a John Deere Standard meter setup and a John Deere standard meter outfitted with Precision Planting’s eSet components. Field tests were also conducted to understand in-field performance of meters with 4 ground speeds and 5 seeding rates treatments resulting in 20 unique meter speed combinations during planting. Plant population and seed spacing data were collected once 100% emergence occurred. Yield data was collected on a per plot basis. For these tests, both corn and cotton setups were evaluated.