Planting season sets the tone for the rest of the growing years, and for no-tillers there is increased emphasis due to the challenge of planting through residue rather than a ‘perfect’ worked seed bed.

Experts often say to avoid going more than 5 mph to give the planter an opportunity to do its job accurately and consistently. But with more volatile weather patterns and fewer days for field work, no-tillers may wonder if a high-speed planting season is worth the investment.

As the 2024 planting season starts to wind down, how did you do? Would the ability to plant faster helped you cover more acres that were a struggle to get done on time this spring?  

Precision Planting says multiple years of data from its PTI Farm in Pontiac, Ill., where yield response at various planting speeds was logged for corn and soybeans using Precision Planting’s SpeedTube technology, produce favorable results when compared to high-speed planting with a regular seed tube system. 

Consisting of a flighted belt, SpeedTube transports each seed to the furrow so there is no little or no opportunity for seeds to ricochet into the trench. Even at twice the normal planting speeds, the…