Variable-rate seeding, or VRS, is the practice of dynamically adjusting the amount of seeds planted in areas of fields based on location-specific information on fertility and other factors that affect yield.

For Aaron Wickstrom, keeping his 2,400 dairy herd fed requires triple-cropping on his 1,000 acres of flood and pivot irrigated fields near Hilmar, Calif. To provide silage, he first plants corn by May 1 that’s harvested in August, followed by sorghum that’s harvested as silage in October. He then no-tills a winter cover crop of Italian rye or a mix of wheat, oats and rye.

Hydraulic drive for the 4900 planter will be released with pricing in May 2016 to be available for spring planting in 2017 as a factory-installed option. For 2016 spring planting, Kinze is offering a dealer-installed hydraulic drive kit for 16 and 24 row 4900 planters.

Ashland, Neb., farmer Jim Kucera discusses the benefits of planting earlier and having soils dry out faster with strip-till, as well as decreased weed pressure and his use of variable-rate seeding.

Once they commit to the investment, strip-tillers often find that managing planting populations on the go can cut seed costs and maximize yield potential.