New planters and planter attachments

4-, 6-, and 8-row planters The new 4-, 6-, and 8-row Yield-Pro Planters by Great Plains Manufacturing are designed for growers who have small fields or limited acres but want access to large-planter technology. Like their larger Yield-Pro counterparts, all three models feature the 25 series row unit, Air-Pro metering system, and either standard 30-in. or twin-row configurations. Both 3-pt.-mounted or pull-type configurations are available. For more information, visit www.greatplainsmfg.com

30- and 40-ft. planters The new 30-ft. YP-30 and 40-ft. YP-40 Yield-Pro planters from Great Plains offer growers greater flexibility. The heavy-duty planters are available with a choice of three openers and eight different row spacings. Both planters also may be equipped with the new Great Plains semi-mounted fertilizer cart to apply seed and fertilizer in one trip. Prices for the versatile planters start at $110,000. For more information, visit www.greatplainsmfg.com

Semi-mounted fertilizer cart Apply seed and fertilizer in one trip with the new Great Plains semi-mounted fertilizer carts, mounted via a quick hitch to Great Plains YP-2425, YP-30 and YP-40 planters. The carts ride on castor wheels that run between 30-in. standard rows and 30-in. twin rows. A ground-driven John Blue piston pump, mounted on the planter toolbar, provides positive application of fertilizer. When used in conjunction with the planter’s on-board fertilizer tank, the carts allow for application of both high-rate and starter fertilizer in one pass. Suggested list prices: $9,855 for 500-gal. tank; $11,600 for 735-gal. tank; $11,912 for 1,000-gal. tank. For more information, visit www.greatplainsmfg.com

Down-pressure control system Growers can add the new Row-Pro down-pressure control system from Great Plains to the Great Plains 25 series planter row units and IntelliAg control system. Row-Pro keeps the proper down pressure on a row unit and keeps sidewall compaction to a minimum. Pneumatic cylinders instead of air bags are used to maintain the pressure. Price: $750/row unit. For more information, visit www.greatplainsmfg.com

Swath control system Great Plains says its new Swath Command control system can save growers up to 18% on seed costs by eliminating the loss associated with over planting or double planting. Used in conjunction with a GPS signal and IntelliAg controller, Swath Command builds a map of the field as it is planted and automatically turns row units on and off as the planter passes over areas that have been planted, such as headlands, waterways, borders, and center pivot corners. Suggested list price of a complete swath control system for a 16-row planter: $13,174. Price includes compressor, holding tanks, plumbing, two valve bodies, modules, controller, screen, software and GPS receiver. For more information, visit www.greatplainsmfg.com

Bulk-fill planter Kinze Manufacturing’s 3600 Twin-Line planter is now available with Air Seed Delivery (ASD), the company’s bulk fill system. A hydraulic weight transfer mechanism distributes the weight of two 40-bu. seed hoppers across the full width of the planter to minimize soil compaction and maintain consistent depth in planting. The planter is available in both 12-row and 16-row configurations, with or without Interplant row units. A 16-row planter with EdgeVac metering retails for $131,000. For more information, visit www.kinze.com

By-the-row planter control system The new OmniRow planter control system by Raven Industries provides seed rate control and section shutoff in a single unit. A hydraulic motor built specially for Raven connects directly to planter hex shafts to vary seeding rates. Coupled with hydraulic valves, Raven’s patent-pending control technology also allows the motor to serve as a row-unit shutoff. The OmniRow system is available for most popular planter models in three levels. Level 1 provides planter monitoring for up to 24 rows, row shutoff, two-section fertilizer shutoff and variable-rate seeding control capabilities through the Envizio Pro/Envizio Pro II monitor. (Third-party clutches and hydraulic drives must be purchased separately.) The system includes planter-mounted electronics, plus harnesses to connect to existing planter sensors. The suggested retail price is $2,900. As with all OmniRow systems, an Envizio Pro or Envizio Pro II monitor also is required. Level 2 includes Level 1 capabilities, plus up to four hydraulic motor assemblies for variable-rate and section control of 12- and 16-row planters. Kits will be available for specific Deere and Kinze 12- and 16-row planters. The list price for 12-row and 16-row kits is $7,500. The system also can control non-Raven row clutches if a finer-resolution shutoff system is desired. Level 3 includes Level 1 capabilities, plus individual hydraulic drives for each row. Initially, kits will be available for 12-, 16- and 24-row planters. The list price is $1,050/row. For more information, visit www.GoRaven.com

Crop input control system Trimble has expanded its Field-IQ crop input control system. The modular, section and variable-rate application control system now controls up to 48-row shutoff sections for seed and fertilizer. Variable-rate capabilities include up to four products with the FmX integrated display, and up to two products with the CFX-750 8-in., color touch screen. Products can include seed, chemicals and fertilizer. An operator can transfer his day’s coverage to his computer using the built-in USB port or wirelessly to the Trimble Connected Farm by adding a supported modem.Hardware options include Tru Count clutches (including a new Tru Count Meter Mount air clutch), LiquiBlock valves for turning row fertilizer on and off, Rawson Par 2 hydraulic drives for variable-rate planting and fertilizer application, and GreenSeeker sensors for on-the-go optical crop sensing and variable-rate application. Suggested list price varies by individual system. A typical setup for controlling each individual row unit on a 24-row planter is around $11,000. For more information, visit www.trimble.com

Planter monitor John Deere says its new SeedStar XP monitoring system provides more real-time information about planter performance and seed placement to the operator in the tractor cab than its previous SeedStar 2 did. The system helps ensure that seed is planted to the correct depth and spacing within the seed furrow across the entire field to save time and seed while maximizing yields, according to Chris Savener, John Deere Seeding project manager, planters.The SeedStar XP is compatible with GreenStar 2 and features a full-color planting monitor or can be integrated with an existing GreenStar 2 display. SeedStar 2 uses a series of row-unit sensor nodes and downforce sensors configured to the specific model of planter. A split screen allows for both planter and guidance monitoring. Other enhancements to the system include seed singulation and seed spacing monitoring, row-unit downforce monitoring and adjustment, row-unit ride quality monitoring, and overall row-unit and planter performance monitoring. SeedStar XP will be available only on John Deere 770NT, 1770NT CCS, 1790 and DB series planters. The system is integrated and compatible with other Ag Management System products such as Swath Control Pro for planters, GreenStar AutoTrac assisted steering, and Apex farm management software. List price: $2,400 to $5,600, depending upon the model and size. For more information, visit www.johndeere.com

Planter-monitoring firmware New Advanced Seed Monitoring firmware for Ag Leader’s Integra display enables owners to monitor planter performance from the same display that controls their guidance, mapping, and autosteer functions. Seed population, singulation, skips/doubles, and spacing quality can all be viewed during planting from Integra’s large 12.1-in. screen. Rows operating at the highest and lowest levels for singulation and population are automatically determined and displayed. The firmware will be released in February for download and is available at no charge. For more information, visit www.agleader.com

Row cleaner controller CleanSweep from Precision Planting is a planter device that lets you adjust the down pressure on row cleaners from the cab according to the amount of crop residue on the ground. Row cleaners can be fully raised in high-residue conditions. Pressure is adjusted by a pneumatic cylinder controlled by a cab-mounted controller. Price of the CleanSweep is based on planter configuration. For more information, visit www.precisionplanting.com

Seed sensor Precision Planting’s new WaveVision seed sensor uses density sensors mounted in the seed tube to monitor seed delivery. Unlike conventional light sensors, the density sensors can see through dust to give a more accurate reading of seed count and singulation, the company claims. Suggested list price: $140/row. For more information, visit www.precisionplanting.com

Row-cleaner/coulter combination The new Planter Pro planter attachment from Ag Focus automatically adjusts row cleaners to manage tough soil and residue conditions during planting. The result is faster soil warm-up, even seedling emergence, and higher yield, the company claims. Residue is first cut by a self-sharpening, double-beveled flat coulter and then swept aside by floating row cleaners that are pulled with independent suspension. Residue management is even more important with healthier, high-yielding Bt hybrids that are slower to decompose. Ag Focus says the attachment allows growers to successfully plant continuous corn for higher yield in the old row where soil compaction is less. Planter Pro is designed for use with John Deere, Kinze and Case-IH 1200 series planters. List price: $895/row. For more information, visit www.agfocus.com

Closing wheel The new Zipper Closing Wheel from Schaffert Manufacturing is designed to feather soil into the furrow with minimal compaction. Used in place of the planter’s rubber wheel or as an attachment to the existing wheel, the product is constructed of long-wear, heavy-duty cast metal to work in tough soil conditions. The angled bar helps prevent the wheel from plugging. List price: $70/side (includes ring, wheel and bearings). For more information, visit www.schaffert.com

Fertilizer disc Schaffert Manufacturing’s new IH Fertilizer Disc is designed for high- or low-pressure injection of liquid fertilizer when bolted in place of the standard 8-in. concave disc on Case IH planters. The straight disc creates a slice for the liquid to go in and maintains the offset of the original disc to ensure closing of the furrow. Triple-sealed bearings and stainless steel hardware provide long wear and durability. An optional cone reduces liquid splatter on the gauge wheel. Suggested list price: $80/row. For more information, visit www.schaffert.com

Gauge wheel assembly Replace worn-out bearings on your planter or grain drill gauge wheels in about 10 min. from the field with a new gauge wheel assembly from CFC Distributors. The patent-pending Captive Rim gauge wheel unit is held together by four nuts and a retainer cap that can be taken apart with a wrench and screwdriver instead of a high-pressure shop press. “To change the bearing on our wheel unit, you remove four nuts, a retainer cap, install a new bearing and reinstall the nuts, and go back to planting,” says Dennis Bolinger, president of CFC Distributors. Suggested list price for wheel assembly: $80. For more information, visit www.cfcdist.com

Touch-screen scale indicator The 3060 Touchscreen Scale Indicator by Avery Weigh-Tronix provides legal-for-trade measurements out of the box for a variety of agriculture weighing applications. Using agriculture software programs (sold separately), the M3060 can be programmed for grain carts, seed tenders, manure spreading, animal weighing (RFID), TMR mixers, feed batching, and feed and herd management applications. A 7-in., backlit, multicolored touch screen allows for readability in full sunlight with brightness three times that of most laptops. For more information, visit www.ccscales.com