The screens in our tractor cab

Similar to when you’re planting your garden, the factors we consider when planting include weather, soil temperature, soil moisture, seed depth, plant population, seed spacing … the list goes on. However, we can control many of those factors from the cab of our tractor. (Not the weather, of course, but wouldn’t that be great?!)

If you were to sit in our tractor cab during spring planting, you would see four screens that show:

1. Field map: We upload all our field maps to an iPad with guidance lines. This allows us to double-check that we are using the right field map on the planter monitor before planting the field.
2. Tractor functions: Similar to your car’s “check engine” light, when something goes wrong on the tractor, this is the screen that tells us so.
3. Planter activity: This monitor controls the auto-steer and allows us to control seed spacing, plant population, and seed to soil contact – all imperative to getting a plant to grow.
4. Insecticide placement: Based on what the soil needs in specific areas, we can control how much insecticide is placed in furrow and on the soil and where as we move through the field.