The Best Precision Planting Equipment for Louisiana Farmers

Farming has changed a lot in the last few decades. Gone are the days when farmers had to closely monitor their practices to ensure the best crop yield every season. Now, with the latest precision agriculture technology, computers and artificial intelligence can monitor many of the manual processes and complex decisions that used to be handled by humans.

However, getting into the world of precision ag and precision planting technology can be scary if you don’t know where to start. You might be wondering – what are the best precision planting equipment options for farmers in Louisiana? We’re here to help demystify the process and help you make the best decision on precision ag technology. Let’s dive into our picks.

Many modern vehicles have automated steering and guidance, so why shouldn’t your farm equipment? There are many different GPS-based auto-steering and guidance systems on the market. These systems make your days easier by completing tasks with you to maximize your working hours. They also increase your productivity by allowing you to cover more ground daily and reduce crop overlap. Worker fatigue also becomes a thing of the past as the machine operates and drives for you, reducing your operator expenses. We recommend John Deere’s line of AutoTrac controllers and systems, which we specialize in installing and training you on using. 

Variable Rate Technology (VRT) makes processes like planting easier. It allows farmers to apply multiple inputs like fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides at varying rates across a field based on specific needs. That means you can tackle one, two, three or more operations in the planting process on a single machine. The John Deere Rate Controller 2000 is a great option for spreading both dry and liquid materials at a precise rate on a single controller. The Gen 4 Section Control is another excellent product that can reduce product application overlap, which is particularly dangerous for crops sensitive to the overapplication of chemicals or fertilizers.

Yield monitors and yield mapping technologies help farmers understand field variability and crop performance. These smart devices identify areas of high and low productivity within fields. Once that information comes in, farmers can use the data to make educated decisions for future planting seasons. The data is stored and carries over from year to year, allowing farmers to look at historical information and plan for future crops. Sugarcane crops, a major industry in Louisiana, can greatly benefit from precision ag technology like yield monitoring and mapping. By looking at the data, farmers can improve their overall production efficiency. 

Standing water on your crops can negatively affect your production, so it’s important to have proper drainage systems in place to move water away from crops. One of the ways to do that with precision agriculture equipment is with a water management system like the Surface Water Pro. This John Deere device works with the GreenStar 2 2600 and GreenStar 3 2630 displays, taking water management to the next level. With the Surface Water Pro, you can map subtle changes in elevation across the field in Survey Mode and then use this data to create ditches to enhance field drainage. This is important for maintaining a high crop yield. 

Mother nature has a mind of its own, and you can’t predict every weather pattern – or can you? Now, with mobile weather monitoring devices, you can confidently apply crop protectants by knowing the current weather conditions, including wind speed, wind direction, and humidity. You can also document weather conditions during application to improve your recordkeeping and compliance reporting. It’s like having a weatherman for your fields that works 24/7! The John Deere Mobile Weather can be mounted on your tractors, combines, sprayers and more to give you real-time weather information on your monitoring display. With the unpredictable weather in Louisiana, this is the perfect device to stay informed about what’s happening now and what’s coming next outside.