A row unit, including a frame with an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a parallel linkage, the lower portion having a gauge wheel depth control linkage, the gauge wheel depth control linkage coupled to plural gauge wheels; a first device coupled to the upper portion and configured to provide an adjustable down force; and an electric actuator coupled to the gauge wheel depth control linkage, the electric actuator configured to provide adjustable positioning of the gauge wheels.

A down-pressure system for an agricultural implement has a linear actuator connected between a frame assembly and an opener assembly. A mounting structure for connecting the linear actuator to the opener assembly includes a bushing and an alignment member attached to the linear actuator. The bushing has protrusions extending transversely from opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the linear actuator. Each protrusion has a curved engagement surface for engaging a flat surface on the opener assembly to prevent bending stresses on the linear actuator when the opener assembly is raised and lowered. The alignment member is arranged to lock the bushing into a predetermined rotational position about a longitudinal axis of the linear actuator relative to the opener assembly. The alignment member comprises a first structure that mates with a corresponding structure on the bushing, and a second structure that engages opposite sides of the opener assembly.

A penetration depth control and gauge wheel contact force monitoring system for a row unit includes a penetration depth actuator configured to drive a gauge wheel arm assembly to move a gauge wheel relative to a row unit frame to control a penetration depth of an opener of the row unit. The penetration depth actuator includes a contact force sensor configured to output a sensor signal indicative of a contact force between the gauge wheel and a soil surface, the penetration depth actuator includes a body configured to be coupled to one of the frame or the gauge wheel arm assembly, the penetration depth actuator includes an actuating device configured to be coupled to the other of the frame or the gauge wheel arm assembly, and the actuating device is configured to move relative to the body to drive the gauge wheel arm assembly to move the gauge wheel.

A closing wheel assembly is provided for a row unit agricultural planter. The planter is configured to open a trench in the soil and the closing wheel assembly is configured to close the trench. A resilient flap is provided for firming and leveling the soil returned to the trench by the closing wheel assembly. Pivotally mounted offset closing wheels are also provided.

A gauge wheel load sensor for an agricultural planter having a row unit that includes a pivotably mounted gauge wheel and a down pressure controller for controlling the down pressure on at least a portion of the row unit. The load sensor includes a mechanical element mounted for movement in response to the downward force applied to the row unit; a fluid-containing device containing a movable element coupled to the mechanical element for changing the fluid pressure in response to the movement of the mechanical element; and a transducer coupled to the fluid-containing device for producing an output signal in response to changes in the fluid pressure. An energy storage device, such as an accumulator, may be coupled to the fluid-containing device for receiving a limited amount of fluid in response to changes in the fluid pressure to damp pressure spikes in the output signal of the transducer.

A retrofit assembly used to substitute a remotely controlled cylinder for a furrow closing standard spring on agricultural equipment. The retrofit assembly includes a cylinder mount including a cylinder mount tab and a cylinder mount fixture. The cylinder mount is connected to the furrow mount. The cylinder bracket 30 is mounted to the agricultural equipment. A remotely controlled fluid cylinder is mounted between the cylinder mounting assembly and the cylinder mounting bracket. A standard spring for a furrow closing assembly on agricultural equipment can be replaced with a remotely control fluid cylinder allowing the furrow closing assembly to be controlled remotely by the user.

A method of controlling the downpressure on an air seeder that has a plurality of seed assemblies and a plurality of fertilizer assemblies each applying an adjustable downforce, wherein the method includes keeping a total downforce applied by all of the plurality of seed assemblies and all of the plurality of fertilizer assemblies less than a maximum downforce. The method may also include keeping the downforce applied by each of the fertilizer assemblies less than the downforce applied by each of the seed assemblies.

An agricultural implement includes at least one row unit having a plurality of support members, each of which is pivotably coupled to an attachment frame or another of the support members to permit vertical pivoting vertical movement of the support members, and a plurality of soil-engaging tools, each of which is coupled to at least one of the support members. A plurality of hydraulic cylinders are coupled to the support members for urging the support members downwardly toward the soil. A plurality of controllable pressure control valves are coupled to the hydraulic cylinders for controlling the pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the cylinders. A plurality of sensors produce electrical signals corresponding to predetermined conditions, and a controller is coupled to the sensor and the controllable pressure control valves. The controller receives the electrical signals from the sensors and produces control signals for controlling the pressure control valves.

A system for sensing characteristics of a trench in a soil surface during planting operations. A trench opening assembly opens a trench in the soil surface as the trench opening assembly moves in a forward direction of travel. A trench closing assembly disposed rearward of the trench opening assembly closes the opened trench with soil. One or more sensors may be disposed on an appurtenance disposed in said trench configured to provide characteristics of an area of the open trench or an area of the trench closed with soil by the trench closing assembly or a sensor may be disposed outside of said trench configured to provide characteristics of an area of the trench closed with soil or a combination of the sensors may be disposed in the trench and outside of the trench.

A downforce control system for an agricultural ground engaging unit provides individual control of each agricultural ground engaging row unit by providing a proportional pressure control valve connected to the retracting chamber of a double acting cylinder which varies the upward force produced by the retracting chamber of the cylinder against a constant counteracting downward force produced by an extending chamber of the cylinder, the valve control based on a comparison of a sensed resultant downward force on the agricultural ground engaging row unit and a predetermined target downward force.