Cereals 2019: Flexible tillage tackle a prominent feature of the show

Designed to be used in combination with a variety of drills and planters, Grange Machinery has developed a close coupled toolbar.

Featuring low disturbance, soil loosening legs, one of the main drivers for the tool bar’s inception comes from growers wanting to establish crops such as sugar beet, maize and OSR more effectively and efficiently. In these cases a mounted precision planter can be hooked onto the toolbar via a dedicated three point linkage, with the outfit providing a one pass, precision strip-till establishment method.

Via welded leg sockets, loosening legs can be fitted or removed to achieve a leg spacing of either 500 or 750mm, adapting to crop row spacings. In addition, power harrow/drill combinations can also be used with the toolbar, for example, with the ability to fit an optional PTO.

Suitable for tractors from about 200 to 350hp, the toolbar is available in three, four and six metre working widths.

Distributed in the UK by Terrington, Einbock’s latest creation was inspired by a British farmer who wanted a machine which could carry out inter-row cultivation and drilling duties.

Built in Austria, the resulting machine is based on the firm’s Chopstar cereal hoe, designed to cultivate in between crops with a row spacing of 25cm, aided by camera guidance and an automatic side shift mechanism.

For drilling, the machine is equipped with four seed distribution heads, feeding hoses which lead to each of the machine’s spring tines. Wide weeding tines are swapped for narrow point tines when drilling, with seed carried by the company’s 1,200 litre Jumbo front tank.

Depending on specification, a six metre machine starts from about £65,000.

Ideal for following min-till and zero-till drills, where people are struggling to close up seed slots in poor ground conditions, Wox Agri Services showed its Magnum roller.

Key to the roller’s effectiveness is its ground contour following ability, facilitated for by two key features; the use of individually mounted 1.5m roller gangs and the use of Guttler-made serrated rollers. The 12m set on show weighs just 6.25 tonnes.

Extending the roller’s flexibility, it can also be fitted with a stubble rake and a seeder kit, offering the ability to establish cover crops, apply granular herbicides, promote germination and decimate slug habitats.

Available in widths of from 6.4 to 12m, the largest retails from £35,000.

Lemken showed an example from its Steketee inter-row cultivator range, which has already attracted interest from UK maize and sugar beet growers in non-organic systems.

Lemken acquired Dutch manufacturer Steketee last year and is gradually integrating the products into its range. The main attraction is said to be the company’s expertise in RGB imaging which offers colour differentiation, allowing weeds to be identified and targeted in a growing crop. Cultivators up to 27m working width are sold in France, with three individually camera-controlled sections matched to the size of an RTK-controlled planter or drill.

Steketee is also working to combine inter-row cultivation with in-row weed control via herbicides or electric current to offer a site-specific operation which cuts costs and offers environmental benefits.

Showing off the smaller end of its disc harrow offering, Dal-Bo reports a recent interest for narrower working width machines.

For this, the firm had on the stand one of its 3m working width Farmer Disc models. Along with 3.5 and four metre version, the machines feature two rows of 520mm scalloped discs, followed by a choice of rear rollers.

Depth control is via manual adjustment of the roller, and it can also be fitted with rubber flap behind the discs to prevent clogging of the roller. A seeder can also be mounted to the machine, extending its versatility, says Dal-Bo.

Retail price for the 3m model is about £12,000.

Called Crop Check, Cousins’ latest development is a cover crop roller. The roller, which features full width, blunt blades in a chevron patter, is designed to bruise, break and damage the cover crop without causing any soil disturbance.

It can be mounted on the front of a tractor, with a direct drill following, or it can be retro-fitted to another implement.

Overall diameter of the roller is 660mm, with working widths of three, four, five and six metres available. Rollers weigh approximately 190kg/m, and can be ballasted up with water.

Retail for a 3m model is £4,580.

As well as its new Aurock drill and Oceanis trailed sprayer, Kuhn also showcased a new range of precision drills.

Available in six to 12 row versions and capable of drilling crops with row spacings from 37.5 to 80cm, the new Maxima 3 range comprises 12 models in a choice of configurations including telescopic, trailed, foldable and telescopic with adjustable spacing.

Features include an improved seed selection and ejection system which enables more accurate seed placement at working speeds of up to 10kph, says the manufacturer. In addition, a new coulter pressure system, capable of producing up to 180kg of downward pressure, also helps seeding accuracy.

An electrically driven seed metering system allows application rates to be adjusted manually on the move or in accordance with a pre-prescribed seeding map. It also enables GPS or manually controlled row shut-off.

Options include angle-adjustable rear closing wheels, fertiliser hoppers, various press wheels, clod cleaners and trash wipers.