The Perfect Seed Furrow In No Till Farming

In no till farming, the best seed furrows lead to better crop yields, so let’s look at the perfect seed furrow.

Desired Depth Of Seed Furrows
In no till planting, you must make sure that your equipment is creating furrows of the desired depth for your seeds, which will vary depending on the type of crops you are planting, the climate, soil conditions, planting date, and so on.

This photo shows perfect seed placement in a no till seed bed.

Consistent Depth Of Seed Furrows
For consistent plant emergence (which is what leads to the highest crop yields), you need seed furrows that are all the same depth. In general, you should not have a variation of more than ¼ inch from the desired depth.

Intact Sidewalls Until The Seeds Have Come To Rest
Your furrow sidewalls need to remain intact long enough for the seeds to come to rest at the bottom of the furrow. If dust or chunks of sidewall fall into the bottom of the furrow before the seeds get there, the seeds will not be planted at the proper depth, nor at a uniform depth.

Seeds At The Bottom Of The Furrows
With the proper no till equipment and techniques, ideally, nearly all of your seeds will land in the exact bottom of the furrows.

Seeds Firmed In The Furrows
It’s important that these seeds become embedded in the furrow bottom. For consistent germination and emergence, there needs to be good seed-to-soil contact, with the seeds firmly pressed into the bottom of the furrow. To test how firmly the seeds are embedded, brush away the loose soil covering the seed. The seed should be tucked in tightly and would need to be pried loose with a pocketknife.

Perfect seed placement no till farming. Loose material over the seed is easily brushed away, showing the seed firmed into the furrow bottom. (Planter equipped with Keetons, Mojo wires, and Thompson closing wheels)

Good Furrow Closing
Once the furrow is closed, the soil should be loose over the seed. The upper 2/3 to 3/4 of the sidewall should be broken apart, and you should be able to use your finger to easily brush away the fill material over the seeds.

We have designed parts for no till farming that help ensure the very best seed placement, including:

Thompson Wheel – a thin but durable spoked closing wheel

DuraLok Seed Lock Wheel – a durable firming wheel of the optimum shape and flexibility

Ninja Seed Bounce Flap – a flap that helps keep more seeds in the furrow

Mojo Wire Stiffener For Keeton Seed Firmers – helps apply pressure to seeds at the bottom of the furrow

Valion Seed Tube Guard – helps ensure the proper V-shape of a seed furrow, for uniform seed depth

We are also proud to announce that, in 2016, we introduced the UniForce Hydraulic Down-Pressure system for John Deere drills (series 50, series 60, series 90) as well as the 2510H anhydrous applicator. No more need for extreme frame ballasting! This unique piece of equipment exerts uniform pressure on all openers throughout their range of stroke, reduces or eliminates hairpinning, ensures consistent seed depth, and lessens sidewall compaction.

Check out our catalog of no till equipment parts – you can view, download a PDF, or we’ll be happy to mail you a catalog.

For information on how we can help you create the best seed furrows, call (800) 417-8020, or e-mail info@notillagriculture.com.

Please note: In addition to the products listed above, we sell over 100 attachments, add-ons, equipment, and parts for no till farming. Our products are compatible with John Deere, Kinze, Great Plains, AGCO-White, Case IH, and Monosem equipment, as well as other manufacturers of drills and planters.