These planter accessories could fit your farm

Are you looking for a fertilizer tender capable of holding and unloading large quantities? Ag Systems’ MT900-TA may be able to help. This is a 28-ton, 304 stainless steel tender capable of unloading 4,500 pounds per minute. It has six compartments offering 50-degree slopes for complete unloading. It can be truck- or trailer-mounted. It is available from Ag Systems for $95,000. Learn more from Ag Systems, Hutchinson, Minn., by calling 800-328-5866 or visiting agsystemsonline.com.

Martin-Till introduces a dual parallel-linkage row cleaner for vertical tillage. The ACCR is a compact row cleaner that can be retrofitted to all planter units. Its up and down movement reduces soil compaction. Combine it with the company’s Smart Clean technology, and farmers can react faster to the residue running through and adjust on the go. Smart Clean is a Bluetooth platform that farmers can use with their smartphone or tablet while in the tractor cab. Contact Martin-Till, Elkton, Ky., at 800-366-5817, or visit martintill.com.

Prescription Tillage Technology’s planter disc openers serrate the sidewalls, which means less sidewall compaction and better penetration for seed-to-soil contact. “It just allows better root development with the corn, better penetration,” says Kyle Williams, trade show manager for SI Distributing. “The better seed-to-soil contact is huge just because it means if you get into a wet spot in the field, it’s still going to leave about a quarter-inch of granulated soil on top of the seed.” The blades start at $74.95 and are available in various sizes. Go to sidist.com for more information.

Kinze True Depth channels hydraulic control to each individual row unit through loading cells that read down pressure. The reading is transferred to a control box that processes it at 200 times a second. The unit will then compensate for how much down pressure the system delivers through a hydraulic ram. A 7-inch display inside the cab allows the farmer to look at the sensed and applied downforce, along with percent contact with the ground. True Depth can only be installed on new Kinze planters. Visit kinze.com.

Articles about soil compaction draw huge readership. Farmers realize it’s important. So does LDM Ag Services LLC. The company offers the Planter Hydraulic Frame Weight Distribution Retro-fit Kit for numerous planters. Using hydraulic cylinders, the unit helps spread out the weight across the planter. Outer wings stay in better contact with the surface. List price for a 24-row planter is $5,000. Contact LDM Ag Services, Grand Junction, Iowa, at 515-370-1068 or ldmagservices.com.

The folks at 360 Yield Center believe the drag chain behind the closing rows on each planter unit can be an important tool. Their closing wheel drag chain features a unique design that they believe works most efficiently to finish closing the slot over the seed in the row. You can add this drag chain option for $38 per row. Visit 360yieldcenter.com.

Graham claims to offer the world’s first electric depth-control system for planters. A 4-inch electric actuator with wireless control manages hydraulics to adjust pressure on row units and manage planting depth. It eliminates hydraulic hoses, air bags and planter springs on any brand and model of planter. List price is $1,250 per row. Spokespeople note you may need to add an alternator on tractors operating planters bigger than 12 rows. Contact Graham, Sterling, Colo., at 844-464-7242 or grahamelectricplanter.com.