Dixon, Illinois farmer Dave Book had good memories of the old International Cyclo Air planters. They were simple, thanks to the single big air drum seed meter, and efficient, with the bulk fill seed hopper that was much faster to fill than individual row unit hoppers.
And the Early Riser row units were unmatched in their ability to put seed in an ideal germination environment in a wide range of residue conditions.
In fact, he was one of the first farmers in his area to own one.
Now, after a 20-year absence, he’s back with a red planter.
Book’s region of northern Illinois is among the top corn growing areas in the world. It’s an area where progressive growers have readily adopted new technologies and economies of scale to boost corn yields and cover more acres, more efficiently.
In a quest for higher productivity, Book, who farms with his brother, Jim, moved to bigger planters than what the Cyclo line offered, eventually settling in on running three 16-row planters to cover approximately 9,000 acres of corn and soybeans.
The addition of autoguidance systems got the Books thinking about running even bigger planters. With autoguidance, they reasoned, 24-row planters would be manageable. They could run two 24-row planters with capacity similar to three 16-row planters. Eliminating a tractor and operator, plus the tendering equipment, was appealing.
In 2007, they added their first 24-row planter and were pleased with how it fit into the operation.
In 2008, the Books learned that Case IH offered the 1200 Series planter in a 24-row 30-inch front-fold configuration.
With several good brands of 24-row planters to choose from, the Books didn’t hesitate to get their first Case IH planter in two decades, the Early Riser 1250.
Their reasons included the proven Early Riser row units, the precision of the planter’s ASM seed meter, and the overall convenience and efficiency of operating the planter.
“These row units were always good. They’re still the only ones with the leading edge disk opener which opens the seed slot easier,” Dave explains. That, along with other Early Riser ground-engaging features, work together to encourage germination.
Dave says they saw proof of the Early Riser row-unit performance in one field they had planted, using their new Case IH planter alongside their other planter. “The corn from the Case IH planter did come up a day earlier,” he says. “The way this planter places the seed and firms over the seed makes a difference.”
Much of the Books’ ground is corn-to-corn which has been chisel plowed in the fall, and worked once with a field cultivator in the spring. They’ve added row cleaners in front of the planter’s disk openers to clear away crop residues.
“The row cleaners have paid for themselves,” Dave says. “Brushing residues away from the row makes a big difference.”
They also plant beans directly into the prior year’s cornstalks and have added no-till coulters for that operation. After several years with drilled beans, they’re back to planting beans on 30-inch rows, using the same two planters they use for corn.
The Books place a premium on consistent depth control and in-row spacing, based on input from their seed representative. “If there’s one corn plant coming up later than the others, it’s going to make a smaller ear, if it makes one at all,” Dave says. “And we want the plants spaced like the ‘picket fence’ you always hear about. If two plants are crowded, one won’t make an ear.”
Consistent depth control has always been a benefit of the Early Riser row units. And from its introduction in 1998, the 1200 Series planter ASM meter has established a reputation for highly accurate in-line spacing and population control, even with seed lots of varying seed sizes.
“We order specific seed sizes, but sometimes we get smaller or larger seeds depending on what’s available. If we don’t get a uniform seed size, this planter can handle it,” Dave explains. “We only change seed plates when we go into beans, which is an advantage.”
During planting, the Books strive for maximum productivity from their equipment and their three full-time employees. The fast-load central fill 60-bushel seed hoppers on the 1250 planter are a good match for their bulk seed system.
Because they plant GMO varieties of corn, the Books adhere to the 20 percent refuge acre requirements. They say having the optional granular chemical boxes on the row units helps them by having an easy-to-manage source for the insecticide when planting the non-GMO refuge acres.
Touch-screen control
The AFS Pro 600 display gives the Books full control of their planter functions, including folding, unfolding and markers. It’s integrated with their AFS Accuguide autoguidance system so all these functions are managed with the in-cab monitor.
Dave says their Case IH dealer provided a preseason training session for AFS Pro 600 monitor users, which helped them understand all its capabilities. Being menu-driven helps make it easy to use, he adds.
One of the planter’s controls they find useful is the “prime” function. This lets the planter’s hydraulic drive system recharge and begin planting immediately if they have to stop during planting. This avoids the 15- to 20-foot gaps that would otherwise occur as the planter spools up.
In operation, the Books say the 1250 Early Riser planter is a good fit for their needs. At just under 12 feet wide when folded, it’s easy enough to move down the road, and goes from transport mode to planting mode in just a few minutes.
Filled with 100 units of seed, the Books plant 250 acres prior to refilling. “We shoot for 500 acres a day with this planter,” Dave says.
Robustly built, the planter requires ample power to pull it. Case IH recommends a tractor with at least 230 hp; the Books pull theirs with a Magnum 305 tractor rated at 255 PTO hp. They use an optional PTO-powered hydraulic pump in addition to the tractor’s hydraulics to assure that the planter gets all the hydraulic power it needs for its three fans and hydraulic seed drive systems.
For the Books, this new planter brings a welcomed combination of proven seed-to-soil performance in the Early Riser row units and industry-leading seed metering in a configuration designed for maximum productivity.
It fits into their objective of applying new technologies they think will benefit them. The autoguidance systems, which enabled them to consider the 24-row planters, is another example.
“We have a lot of money invested in this autosteer technology, but we’re seeing a huge difference in efficiency,” Dave says.
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OWNER PROFILE
Dave and Jim Book
Dixon, Illinois
Crops: Corn and soybeans
Acreage: 9,000
Comments:
“If we don’t get a uniform seed size, the planter can handle it. Not having to change seed plates is an advantage.”
“The touch-screen Pro 600 display is menu driven and very easy to use. We can change populations directly on the screen, if we want to.”
“We only fill this planter twice a day, once in the morning and again at noon. We figure 500 acres a day in corn.”
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