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Van Wall Equipment specialists showcased John Deere's ExactEmerge technology at the Iowa Ag Expo recently in Des Moines.

DES MOINES — Skips are to be avoided at all costs during planting, so to address this issue, John Deere released the ExactEmerge row unit, which was unveiled at the 2014 National Farm Machinery Show in Kentucky.

Van Wall Equipment specialists showcased the system at the Iowa Ag Expo recently in Des Moines.

“The ExactEmerge technology can be installed on a new planter from the factory or as a performance upgrade kit at the dealership. The upgrade kit allows a grower to get the latest technology on an older planter frame at a lower entry price,” said Scott Meldrum, integrated solutions manager for Van Wall Equipment. “The ExactEmerge technology is adaptable down to a 12-row planter in both bulk fill planters and box planters. If a grower is looking to improve their stand, plant at uniform depth, plant precise populations and increase their planting speed and not sacrifice quality, then the ExactEmerge system could fit into their operation.”

Ag engineers also have made advancements in individual row hydraulic downforce, pneumatic closing wheels and ExactEmerge planter additions. ExactEmerge allows producers to cruise along at 10 mph without losing accuracy. It can handle a variety of kernel sizes and shapes without mechanical adjustments and offers an improved meter with a new poly-tine doubles eliminator.

“The ag industry has moved from farming by the field to farming by the acre, and now we are progressing to farming by the plant. ExactEmerge technology focuses on getting every seed placed in the seed trench to give each plant the best opportunity to produce the highest potential yield,” Meldrum said.

An updated concave design enables the meter to transfer seed to the new BrushBelt, allowing for a clean handoff to the delivery system and the doubles eliminator accurately singulates the seed. ExactTarget also offers an electric drive motor with precise control on each meter to deliver the target population. There’s also a newly designed seed bowl with a vacuum pickup at the bottom of the seed puddle. Once the seed is singulated, the paddle follows it around to push the seed out of the puddle without seeds falling off.

By using the patented BrushBelt and not a seed tub, the seed is nestled tightly from the meter and maintains the seed-to-seed relationship through the delivery system. Then the seed is speed-matched to the ground, which allows the seed to be placed gently at the bottom of the trench without the traditional bounce and roll common with planting at higher speeds.

“ExactEmerge planters and planter row units for performance upgrades have gained considerable traction and popularity due to the excellent in-field performance. The ExactEmerge row unit, in conjunction with John Deere’s patented BrushBelt delivery system, allows a grower to plant with extreme precision and accuracy,” Meldrum said.

“The other benefit of the ExactEmerge platform is the ability to utilize curve compensation. This ensures correct seed population all across the planter when going around curves in a field.”

Because the rate of loss accelerates considerably after the optimum window has passed, which is particularly true the further north you live in the U.S., with a high-speed planter, farmers will avoid missing the peak planting time.

Other technology being rolled out by John Deere includes the ExactRate liquid system for electric drive planters that takes the field-tested ExactApply technology from John Deere sprayers and applies it to the planter application. ExactRate utilizes pulse width modulation technology to maintain precise liquid application rate throughout the width of the planter and across the entire field.