Milk from the desert
How long does it take a country to build a dairy industry? One year, Qatar would answer.
Now comes the new ASP-8140, a 6m folding version fitted with European sourced distribution and a locally designed e-drive monitoring system offering 150mm spacing. Also in view is a 3.0m rigid unit configured to drill 24 rows at 125mm spacing.
As with previous models, the drilling unit/toolbar takes the form of a leading disc gang to promote entry and cut trash, followed by double-coil spring tines with a slimline point and an inverted tee boot.
The vibrations induced by the spring coils are said to create a shattering action that leaves a tilth behind each leg for zero-till operations.
The toolbar has a three-section chassis that allows contour following as each section works independently to follow its own course.
Twin seed and fertiliser bins mounted on the forward chassis allow the unit to be configured for seed-only or seed and fertiliser. A third bin can be added for small seed or slug bait.
Twin fans for air supply allow each tank to modulate air flow independently to suit the task in hand.
A hydraulic drawbar assembly is easy to set up, a transport width of 2.9m allows easy moving, and large trailing wheels carry the 4400kg tare weight; power requirement is 160hp.
Seed rate and monitoring is by the e-drive system that offers easy calibration and seed rate adjustment on the move. Displays show the operator details of area sown, sowing rate, ground speed, bin levels and fan speeds, and jobs-done data can easily be transferred to the farm computer.
Options include a rear tyre packer for consolidation, a rear chain harrow for covering, and a mounting point for a crane to lift bulk bags.