Evaluating the Effect of Planter Downforce and Seed Vigor on Crop Emergence and Yield in Hill-Drop Vs Singulated Cotton

Selection of correct planting parameters and their optimization based on current field conditions is crucial in achieving high crop emergence, which ultimately translates to higher yields. A study was conducted during the 2017 to evaluate the effect of planter downforce and seed vigor on crop emergence in two cotton varieties planted in singulated and hill-drop scenarios. For this study, two cotton varieties (a small seeded low vigor variety and a large seeded high vigor variety) were planted at 1-inch seeding depth using two different planters to attain singulated and hill-drop planting conditions. Two seeding rates of 29,000 seeds/ac and 42,500 seeds/ac were used to represent a typical low and high population for planting cotton in Georgia. Planter downforce treatments consisting of low, medium and high downforce values (100, 200 and 300 lbs, respectively) were implemented using the available downforce technology on both planters. Field data collection consisted of emergence counts at one and three weeks after planting. Yield data will be collected during harvest to evaluate treatment effects on yield. Initial data analysis indicated that singulated seeds are more effective in low downforce treatments independent of the crop variety. Hill-drop seeds exhibited better crop emergence (75 - 81%) in higher downforce treatments as compared to crop emergence (62 – 72%) obtained with singulated seeds. Results showed that low vigor varieties require higher seeding rates (more seeds per foot) to provide an overall high crop emergence rate whereas this trend was not observed in the high vigor variety. A comparison among seeding rates showed that lower seeding rates did not maximize crop emergence when planted as hill-drop as compared to singulated seeds. Overall results from this study emphasized the importance of using correct planting parameters (downforce, seeding rate and variety) based on existing field conditions to maximize crop emergence and yield.