When it comes to the next major breakthrough in no-till, it may well be a combination of several items that end up boosting your efficiencies and profits.

In fact, several interesting ideas for increasing no-till seeding efficiencies came up during a recent conference hosted by Fulk Agri Systems of Platte City, Mo.

Polymer Seed Coatings

By adding a polymer coating to seed, Chuck Fulk says, you could no-till any size or shape seed with the same planter seed meter. By doing so, you could plant flat or round seed in any size without changing the metering system.

“You could also add starter fertilizer directly to the seed for faster plant growth and even add pesticides,” says Fulk. “You could buy seed that has been discounted because of improper shape or size and add a polymer coating for lower-cost seeding. In other words, it’s a way of making the seed fit the no-till planter meter rather than the other way around.”

For 2004, a number of key hybrids will be available only in small seed sizes due to drought concerns last summer in some seed production areas. By adding a polymer coating, you could use this seed without having to make no-till planter adjustments while reducing your costs. These seed coatings could also help a no-tiller cover more acres in less time.

By adding fertilizer to the coating, Fulk says, you could provide nutrients to get seeds off to an even faster start during the first several weeks until the roots…