Fan speed and seed damage

Some air drills can cause costly levels of seed damage if the fan speed is too high. Cracked seed will not germinate. Inspect the quality of seed in the tank to make sure the loading auger isn’t causing the damage. Next, use the sock test (watch the video above) to check the state of seed as it exits the opener. Remove one or more hoses from their openers and tape a tube sock to the end to collect seed. This will show what damage, if any, may have occurred as seed traveled through the drill. This can be done in the yard ahead of seeding or, to avoid wasting seed on the ground, in the field. Count damaged seeds carefully.

Even though the yellow split seeds will show up vividly in the sample, they may only represent a small percentage of seed. However if excessive damage has occurred, try a lower fan speed.