As the spring planting season comes to a close, the days that immediately follow is the best time to take stock of how well planter attachments worked and (if need be) what could be done for improved performance. The time spent now assessing attachment performance will pay dividends next spring.

As the crop emerges look for problem spots. Is residue hampering emergence? Is the seed trench sealed completely? Do the plants look invigorated from contact with starter fertilizer? These problems plus many more can be overcome with the proper selection and use of planter attachments.

A misconception exists about planter attachments; that they should perform exactly the same planting season after planting season, even though planting conditions are different each and every planting season. The truth is they don’t and won’t perform exactly the same year to year, but with a little fine-tuning satisfactory performance can be obtained. The most crucial change for fine-tuning is the mindset that when it comes to attachments, one size fits all and one size does all. You can bet soil conditions, and everything else that affects planting, the first day seed goes in the ground is a whole lot different than the last day seed goes in the ground. These variables drastically affect attachments. The willingness to adjust to real time conditions must be a steadfast commitment; otherwise the maximum benefits of attachments cannot be achieved.

Earlier planting dates, biotech crops and narrowing row spacing are the three most cited factors changing the way we look at attachments. One can count on earlier planting dates to raise awareness for attachment shortcomings. Cold, wet soils are sticky and quick to plug attachments if scraping devices are not properly set. Biotech crops leave behind residue that can be just as tough months after it was harvested as the day it was harvested, thus making sizing that residue more difficult.

As row spacing narrows so does the mounting space available. Even more importantly the room for residue to flow between the rows decreases.

With advanced planning and a contingency plan for the “what ifs”, the real benefits of planter attachments can be realized. Observations gathered today will help attachments provide a solid return on investment plus substantially enhance the performance of planting equipment. Just like the weather and hybrids, new planter attachments develop each year.