Reading seed charts

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
This part makes my head hurt. I am using a IH Cyclo 800 planter. The seed I am using is 80,000 count bags and the salesman tells me that in my area/soils on 30" rows that one bag will cover 2.5 acres. My math says that comes out to a density of 32,000 per acre. Looking at the seed chart for my planter and the 36 hole drum the closest count listed is 32,224. Looking to the left it tells me what sprockets to install in the seed drive to get this density. Looking to the right it tells me that I can drive a maximum of 7.74 miles per hour.

My questions are:

1) Am I doing/reading this right?

2) It says "maximum" speed is 7.74 mph. Can I dial that down? The field is irregular in spots and that is just too fast for a lot of reasons. I would be a lot more comfortable first time out at 4-5 mph until I get the feel of things.

Going to post this on a couple forums. It's a modest test plot but we do intend to harvest it and the inputs are pricey so prefer not to screw it up. Any help appreciated.
 
I wondered too if planters/drills based on revolutions if speed makes any difference within reason. I figure slower is better. With spray equipment I can see where speed would be more critical to get the best coverage.

Larry
 
Yes you can go as slow as you like. And yes that is how it works. You pick the population you want with the sprocket combos they offer.

If you go faster than the recommended speed then seed does not get planted at the population you want, do to bounce or for whatever reason.

The charts are just guidelines and you will be lucky if it plants at the population it says it does for the sprocket combination they say.
 
Yes, when I calibrated my sprayer last fall I tested it on a quarter mile of hayfield to find the right gear and throttle settings to get the coverage I wanted. It makes a difference...at least on old sprayers like mine. Tenant of mine has a sprayer with ground height sensing on booms and a computer that monitors pretty much everything.
 
Well good news. I really don't see me trying to work all this out on the headland in a turn at 7 mph and still get it on a straight course while watching everything else that is going on. My apology for poking at you a little on the implement forum. Your advice is well taken and extremely useful as well as very much appreciated. Thanks!
 
JD 7000 books have a graph showing how much accuracy drops off at excessive speed. Dramatic change. Very little change at slower than recommended speed. Ability of mechanism to pick up, along with seed bounce, affects count accuracy and seed placement.
 

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