With major rainfall events pelting many regions of the U.S. prior to and during the 2010 production season, field conditions were a big concern for no-tillers — not just in preparing fields for planting, but also no-tilling crops properly.

And it appears by their votes that no-tillers are continuing to rely on the performance of the Keeton seed firmer more than ever to promote seed-to-soil contact in the trench and put the seed in the best possible position to emerge.

For the second year in a row, the seed firmer, manufactured by Precision Planting, was voted as the No-Till Product of the Year by No-Till Farmer readers. The product, originally developed by Kentucky no-tiller Eugene Keeton, edged out John Deere’s 1770NT planter as 2010’s overall winner, and also won the category for best planter/drill attachment.

The Product of the Year process started last summer when product nominations were accepted from both no-tillers and manufacturers. Our initial voting by no-tillers resulted in 12 product category winners, and those products were put to a final vote to decide an overall winner.

2010 No-Till Product Of The Year & No-Till Planter/Drill Attachments

Keeton Seed Firmer, Precision Planting

Seed-to-soil contact in the trench is important to germination. This thin piece of plastic slides down the seed trench and traps seeds as they exit the seed tube in a way that firms them into the bottom of the seed trench.

Precision Planting officials say the Keeton seed firmer has proven to increase yields by 6…