Many topics addressed this past month on the No-Till Farmer Farmer’s Forum were regarding various no-till equipment modifications. Here’s what you missed:

Keetons On A Case IH

Are Keetons necessary on a Case IH 900 no-till planter? I recently purchased this planter and have no experience with it. I know the Keetons are a lot smaller for Case IH then John Deere and there isn’t much room to mount them.

With the Case IH planter, is it still necessary to put them on? I’ll be planting corn, soybeans and sunflowers.

—Tim,

bil1_58413@yahoo.com

They are closer to the Martin planter system you get to with the coulter out of the seed row, just cutting residue to be swept off by the row cleaners. In a pure Case IH no-till situation, you will gain if the unit pinches the seed in the bottom of the V trench better.

Using the Keetons has increased yield in about every planter scenario I have studied but probably less with Case IH planter than others. Their design seems to be closer to the best no-till system. Other planters were designed for tillage and that is where more modification seems to help in no-till.

—Ed Winkle,

hymark@voager.net

I’m putting small Martin spading wheels on in place of the Case IH closing discs. I’m not putting a coulter in front, (just a liquid fertilizer coulter to the side) and Martin residue managers. Does this change anything or does it reinforce your original answer?

—Tim,

bil1_58413@yahoo.com

It reinforces my