Agronomy Resource Center

Your Source for Agronomy Information & Service

The Equity wants to provide you with the most up-to-date agronomy information. Team Equity will do its best to deliver agronomic insights, new products, new brands, and relevant information digitally., so we will be continually updating this page with relevant articles and videos that factor into your return on investment. The Equity appreciates your business and we look forward to continuing our relationship and earning your business each year.

Planters Precision

Dicamba

Crop Protection

Nitrogen

Infrastructure

Suppliers

Planters Precision

Earn Cash while Increasing Yield

Planters Coin is designed to reward growers who purchase qualifying products from The Equity. Qualifying purchases earn "Planters Coin" which can be used at any Planters Precision location. The Equity and Planters Precision want to enable growers to purchase new technology, increase yield and overall profitability.

2021 Planters Coin Outline:

Purchase qualifying products from the list below between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021
Grower must enroll by May 31, 2021 at www.The Equity.com/PlantersCoin
Only purchases through a qualifying Equity location will earn "Planters Coin"
Planters Coin must be used by January 31, 2022 or it will expire

Ask us how you can qualify for extended payment terms and use your Planters Coin to pay your balance by ordering at least 16 rows of 360 Yield Center’s Bandit or Precision Planting’s Conceal or FurrowJet.
Planters Coin will be issued to each grower’s Planters Precision account by September 15th of 2021.
Planters Coin cannot be used towards Planters Precision services, only equipment.

Qualifying Products

Micronutrients
GO VERTICAL® Mach 7	GO VERTICAL® Zn-9
2% Liquid Humic	3% Calcium
6.5% Manganese	7.5% Copper
10% Boron	10% Liquid Moly
High Quality Starter
3-18-18	9-24-3
GO VERTICAL® In-Furrow
PGR’s \| Fungicide \| Insecticide
Ascend PGR	Capture LFR
Ethos XB	Xyway
Sulfur \| Potassium Products
Ammonium Thiosulfate	Potassium Thiosulfate
0-0-24 Pot. Acetate
Other Liquid Products
GO VERTICAL® MicroDrive	10-34-00
28% UAN	32% UAN

Planter Health Check Service Plan - Expires March 1, 2021

	Basic $12 per row	Basic + Support $27 per row	Comprehensive $42 per row
Free Phone Support	-	X	X
Two Free In-Field Service Calls (Parts Not Included)	-	X	X
Verify Meter Performance			X
Calibrate Meters to Test Stand	-	-	X
Update 20/20 to Latest Software Version	X	X	X
Ensure Available Memory on 20/20 SeedSense	X	X	X
Planter Swath Configuration	X	X	X
Wiring Harness Inspection	X	X	X
Planter & Tractor Speed GPS	X	X	X
FieldView Connectivity	X	X	X
Diagnostic Checks
vApply HD	X	X	X
vDrive	X	X	X
DeltaForce	X	X	X
SpeedTube	X	X	X
Hydraulic Motors	X	X	X
Row Clutches	X	X	X
Seed Tube Sensors	X	X	X
Load Cells	X	X	X
Row Unit Maintenance
Disk Openers & gauge Wheels	X	X	X
Closing Wheels Bushings & Linkage	X	X	X
Chains, Sprockets & Shafts	X	X	X

Ten Things to Check Before Planting Season

1. Level the Planter	Check hitch height. Make sure the planter’s tool bar is level (vertically) or running slightly up hill. When planters tip down, coulters run too deep and closing wheels run too shallow.
2. Check Bushings and Parallel Linkage	Worn bushings increase row bounce which increase seed bounce. Stand behind the row unit and wiggle it up and down and back and forth checking to make sure bushings are tight.
3. Drive System	Check every chain. Kinked chains cause shock and vibration in the meter. Start with fresh, lubricated chains and check them daily. Include transmission chains, meter drive chains and insecticide box chains.
4. Calibrate Corn Meters	Calibrated meters can add six or more bushels per acre. Take your meters and samples of your seed to a certified MeterMax representative to gain an additional 2-4 or more percent accuracy.
5. Double Disk Openers	Test to make sure there is good contact between the double disks. Slide a business card from the top down along the front of the disks until the card won’t lower any further. Mark that spot with chalk. Then, take the card from the back and slide it forward until it stops. Mark that spot and measure the distance between the two marks. If it is less that two inches, reship or replace the disks. In general, the disks must be more that 14.5” in diameter.
6. Seed Tubes	Inspect seed tubes for wear at the bottom. Frequently, the tubes will have a small dog ear flap on the left side of the seed tube. Replace them.
7. Closing Wheel System	Consider an alternative to rubber closing wheels. For cool, moist planting conditions, take a look at running one spike wheel (15”) and one rubber wheel (13”). The spike wheel can help chop the sidewall improving fracturing and sealing in tough soil conditions. For no-till, an even more aggressive approach may imprve trench closing. Two 13” spike wheels with a drag chain provide the most aggressive action.
8. Closing Wheel Alignment	With your planter setting on concrete, pull ahead about five feet. Look at the mark left behind the planter by the double disk openers. The mark should run right down the centerline between closing wheels. If a closing wheel is running to close to the mark, adjust the closing wheels to bring it back to center.
9. Row Cleaners	With higher levels of residue and more corn on corn, almost any planter can benefit from well adjusted row cleaners. Row cleaners sweep residue from the row, warming the soil around the seed trench, reducing wicking and seedling blight. Make sure row cleaners gently sweep residue - you don’t want to move soil, just residue. Watch the row cleaners running. They shouldn’t turn constantly. They should gently turn sporadically, especially through areas of thick residue.
10. Improve Germination with Seed Firmers	Uniform germination adds, on average, six bushels an acre. Keeton Seed Firmers promote uniform germination by improving depth control and seed to soil contact. By using Keeton Seed Firmers to set seeds to the bottom of the seed trench, you increase the odds that seeds absorb moisture uniformly and emerge evenly.

The Equity & Planters Precision

Your farm is our top priority! Our teams understand it is not only the products, but the services we provide are key to customer satisfaction and profitability. Partnering The Equity and Planters Precisions’ expertise we feel that we can help you achieve high yields and profitability.

Planters Precision is an innovative precision ag company with a mission to introduce profitable precision technologies in agriculture supported by industry-leading knowledge and service. Planters Precision does this through our outstanding Technicians and dealerships with Precision Planting, 360 Yield Center, Climate FieldView, Yetter, Harvest International and Martin-Till.

From a brand-new custom-built planter to corn meter calibrations, planter and combine health checks, in-field service calls, planter liquid systems, and much more we can assist growers in increasing their yields. Planters Precision not only has the equipment and products to increase yield, but we promise to back it with superior customer service.

For more information, visit www.PlantersPrecision.com.

Planters Precision Custom Planter Build - Part 1

Planters Precision Custom Planter Build - Part 2

Dicamba

Dicamba Training

Obtaining your yearly license to apply Dicamba has changed. With the pandemic, minimal in-person classes are being held.

Online Training

IL Dept of Ag Announces
2021 Dicamba Decision

On December 23, 2020, the IL Dept of Ag press released the below.

IL Dept AG NEWS RELEASE

United States EPA Announces 2020 Dicamba Registration Decision

October 27, 2020 the EPA approved a new five-year registration for two dicamba products and extending the registration of an additional dicamba product.

EPA NEWS RELEASE

Crop Protection

Pesticide Training

In order to apply Dicamba or any other pesticide, you must obtain your pesticide license yearly. In 2021 pesticide training and tests are primarily being offered online, though there are a few in-person class options. To find a class option that works best for you, visit the below link.

Training

Want some helpful tips for online training login, exam scheduling, taking a mock pesticide exam, and online proxy test instructions and requirements?

Tips

Xyway Virtual Plot Tour

Check out a new innovative product from Syngenta, Saltro. Next generation protection against Sudden Death Syndrome with additional activity against Soybean Cyst Nematode.

When it comes to SDS protection, you now have the power to choose a better solution. With Saltro® fungicide seed treatment, you have access to more powerful protection against SDS (Fusarium virguliforme) and nematodes than previous options. And beyond better performance, it works without the plant stress.

Saltro provides:

• Consistent, statistically significant 3 bushels per acre (bu/A) yield improvement over ILeVO® under high SDS pressure2
• Greater root protection because it stays in the root zone
• Higher instrinsic activity than older technology to protect against the cause of SDS
• Robust activity against soybean cyst, root knot, reniform, lesion and lance nematodes
• Superior protection from SDS without signs of plant stress, including phytotoxicity, stunting, reduced plant stands, susceptibility to pests or weather, and reduced plant growth above and below ground

Nitrogen

Why is Nitrogen so vital to plants?

Assists with photosynthesis.
Component of amino acids that are the building blocks of protein – without protein plants wither and die.
Significant component of DNA, which allows plants to grow and reproduce.

Importance of Stabilizing Nitrogen to Prevent Denitrification & Leaching

Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for plant growth, development and reproduction. Despite nitrogen being one of the most abundant elements on earth, nitrogen deficiency is probably the most common nutritional problem affecting plants worldwide. Nitrogen is so vital because it is a major component of chlorophyll, amino acids, and nucleic acids such as DNA. Nitrogen deficiencies can occur due to nitrogen being susceptible to loss after application to the field. The use of nitrogen stabilizers to reduce nitrogen loss is important. Consider the three main factors of application timing, N rates and protection needs when determining which nitrogen stabilization solution is right for your individual situations.

GO N-Control - web

Fall Anhydrous Application

When applying fall anhydrous, our goal is to make sure that nitrogen is still available to the corn plant late into the growing season. Consider the following questions:

When should I use a nitrogen stabilizer?

You should always consider using a nitrogen stabilizer. It’s nearly impossible to predict what environmental conditions we will experience during a growing season. If there is a warm season with plenty of moisture, nitrogen loss is almost certain to occur.

How long does N-Serve protect my fall nitrogen application?

N-Serve, on average, protects fall nitrogen applications for up to 90 days (we do not count days below 40-degree soil temperature).

I do multiple applications of nitrogen - which application should I stabilize?

A good rule of thumb is to stabilize your largest application of Nitrogen where the most amount of N is being applied. Nitrogen stabilizers are like insurance for your nitrogen investment. The bigger the investment, the more you get for your insurance.

Is there value in stabilizing multiple applications of nitrogen?

Absolutely. The most important application of nitrogen to stabilize is your largest application, but there is still added value to protecting additional applications. N-Serve protects nitrogen 6-8 weeks when applied at planting and 3-4 weeks when applied at v4-v5 side dress. Remember, corn still requires a large percentage of its total nitrogen needs late in the season post tasseling and during kernel fill.

MORE NITROGEN INFORMATION

Local Facilities and Infrastructure

Crop Protection Building Tour - The Equity - Stewardson

Suppliers

Our Seed Suppliers

In order to reach Go 300 and Go 100 yield goals, you have to start with the seed. That's why The Equity carries a wide variety of seed products, and we independently research the hybrids and varieties we sell to recommend the best genetics and trait packages that fit each farmers needs.

AgriMAXX

Asgrow/Dekalb

Croplan

Brevant

Credenz