Seed-to-soil contact is a key component of successful planting.
Iowa State University Extension digital agriculture specialist Doug Houser says proper downforce helps create the best possible seed furrow.
“Everything pushes against each other, so if I’m pushing down that planter down into the ground, the ground is going to counteract and push up. So we need to make sure that we have those forces equal so we keep that planter depth at the right setting.”
He tells Brownfield farmers should aim for the correct amount of force on the gauge wheels to keep the row unit in the soil while maintaining the correct seed depth.
