by Lucas Veale, Assumption, IL 

Recent rains and cooler weather in central Illinois have really helped the corn crop as it at (or near) pollination.   I have heard of a few small pockets of wind damage but not wide spread at all.  Soybeans have nearly closed the canopy on 30” rows and look to be off to a good start.  I have seen and heard of some folks digging out the row crop cultivators from the back corner of the shed to cultivate some beans with some stubborn water hemp pressure.  Crops overall look pretty good in our area with a few pockets here and there that are showing the effects of some tougher growing conditions.

Tasseled Corn in Assumption, IL

There is a lot of buzz in the area about the Exactemerge Planter Retrofit.  Customers are looking for ways to help save some money by upgrading their current planters to the new technology available with the Exactemerge row unit.  The seed spacing is amazing and with an optimum corn planting window of less than 5 days in many areas this year, growers are seeing the value in getting over more acres in a day without sacrificing seed placement.  We also have seen the benefit of hydraulic downforce systems to maintain seed depth when using these machines at higher speeds.  You can learn more about these retrofit kits by clicking here.

RTK signal accuracy is also generating a lot of interest as growers are making multiple passes after planting.  Planting, Post-emerge application of N, as well as weed control are the main drivers for this as they can maintain hands free steering in standing crop.  Late season fungicide is also an excellent use of this technology.  Year over year repeat-ability really opens some doors not available with other signal levels.  You can learn more about the benefits of RTK network by clicking here.

View from the Andover, Iowa RTK Base

Our planter meter test stands have been running strong as growers are taking advantage of our post season planter inspections to get their machines ready to go for next year before they put them away.   You can learn more about the importance of seed meter testing and proper storage by clicking here.

Jared and Austin have been working hard to get all of our data service customers data corrected and printed.  We still have a few customers that still need to turn in their data so would encourage any that still have not brought it in to do so soon so we can get the Harvest Variety Locator Files set up in plenty of time for fall harvest.  You can click here to learn more about our data management services.

Sloan’s Can Print Your Maps

We have sold some new Starfire 6000 receivers to growers wanting to take advantage of the longer RTK Extend period and the new SF3 signal.  We still have some new Starfire 3000 receivers in stock which are a great value for growers that have needs that can be met by SF1 or are not in a sketchy RTK signal area.  You can learn more about the SF 6000 receiver by clicking here.

SF6000 Ready for Install

Keep an eye out for our upcoming combine clinic dates or check with your local Sloan Implement location for their specific clinic dates.

We have sold several drones lately as growers/seedsmen are wanting to assess crop in a more efficient manner.  They can identify trouble spots faster and easier than before and can then spend some of the saved time and effort focusing on determining causes and remedies for the troubled areas.  You can learn more about our Drone packages in a previous post by Jared Wheeler by clicking here.

Drone Pictures of John Deere 95 Combine Harvesting Wheat in KS

Sloan Support is written by the product support team at Sloan Implement, a 20 location John Deere dealer in Illinois and Wisconsin.   Learn more at www.sloans.com