2009: Farmer Josh Plants Corn

Tools

By Daren Sukhram

Story Created: May 20, 2009 at 5:19 PM CST

Story Updated: Apr 18, 2010 at 2:47 PM CST

It is now time to plant corn! Technology has really changed the way farming can be done nowadays. For my small plot, I was actually taught how to operate the auto steer function in the tractor. Why use auto steer? Local farmer Brian Lensch says it means straighter rows and perfect spacing between rows. In this case, the rows are 30 inches apart. He also says auto steering contributes to less fatigue on the driver when working long hours in the field.

The auto steer function was controlled by a computer in the tractor. You can see in the video how the tractor stays right on the line that is mapped out.

One of the most important things one must do when planting corn is check the depth of seed corn being planted. Ideally, you want the corn to be planted 2 inches into the soil.

Despite the massive size of the planter, the planter has no motor. Brian says it is a gear-driven planter meaning it only plants when the planter is moving. If it is not moving, it is quiet.

According to Brian, the best time to plant corn depends on soil temperature and soil conditions. It is best to not have it too wet. Brian mentioned an old saying: "If you plant in the dust, the bins will bust. If you plant in the mud, the crop's a dud."

I asked Brian how long it would take for the corn to come up out of the ground and he said with warm temperatures, the corn should pop up in about a week to ten days. (For the record, we planted on May 8.)

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