At its January 2015 winter conference, Precision Planting announced a new row-by-row insecticide metering and control system. The new insecticide control system enables farmers to simplify their planter, the company says.

Related: Precision Planting Readies Seed Tube, Metering System

Luke Stuber, Precision Planting vDrive Insecticide engineer, explains: "Farmers applying insecticide today calibrate their meter for a single speed. As operators speed up, slow down or plant around curves, the intended application rate is impossible to maintain. And, as high speed planting is now a reality with SpeedTube, the insecticide system needs to keep pace."

Precision Planting introduces vDrive Insecticide at winter conference 2015 (Precision Planting photo)

As growers have adopted vDrive technology from Precision Planting for row-by-row population control, it has allowed them to eliminate existing drive systems, chains, sprockets and hex-shafts, the company says. Precision Planting's vDrive Insecticide allows farmers to eliminate the mechanical drive systems for insecticide, and the maintenance that goes with it.

"vDrive Insecticide provides flexibility for farmers to micromanage their inputs with row-by-row control, and with a newly designed metering system, allows growers to optimize an application technology that has not had significant improvements in years," Stuber said. "As farmers work to closely manage their inputs and optimize yields, vDrive Insecticide helps them more precisely manage insecticide applications in a continued effort to promote sustainable agriculture practices" Stuber adds.

Related: Precision Planting Has Tips for Analyzing Planter Performance

Precision Planting vDrive Insecticide will be field tested on a limited number of make/model combinations as a beta product for the Spring of 2015.

Source: Precision Planting