Precision planter upgrades
Vaderstad's high speed precision planter Tempo is to get two key updates for 2024, with the addition of new electronics to optimise accuracy, alongside the introduction of a liquid fertiliser system.
“I wanted accuracy and speed to get through the work,” said Richard Flint. “I’ve been very impressed, and the farmers are saying the maize crops are coming up well with no overlap; and they are happy about saving money on seed.”
The eight-row Tempo is a trailed model with four support wheels, said to give optimum depth control and avoid tilting on hills while also allowing excellent following of contours.
“We have humps and hollows in marine clays and it always plants at a consistent depth,” Flint says.
The machine has a 6m working width, is configured for 30-inch spacings and has a 1700L fertiliser bin; at the front of each planting unit is a fertiliser coulter to position fertiliser close to the seed.
Although RK Flint Contracting currently only uses the planter for maize, it can be fitted with a small seeds kit to increase cropping options.
Some of Flint’s clients prepare their own ground, so the paddocks can range from a fine seedbed to cloddy, which in the latter case sees row cleaners flick clods out of the way for a finer seedbed in poorer conditions. In fully cultivated ground, the cleaners are manually lifted out of the way, allowing the Tempo to work efficiently whatever the ground conditions.
Behind the cleaners, the seed coulters have a pressurised seed chamber causing seed to be blown down the delivery tube. This Powershoot system ensures each seed travels at identical speed from the hopper to the soil where it’s caught by the following soft press wheels. The press wheel keeps the seed in the right place and ensures accurate depth control, with both facets combining to ensure exact seed spacing to achieve maximum yield.
Using GPS on the ISOBUS-equipped tractor allows the use of the Tempo’s auto shut-off feature, and it allows variable rate application to automatically change fertiliser and seed rates according to a pre-set field map.
Using the iPad monitor allows Flint to change rates on-the-fly and it makes calibration easy between jobs.
Flint pulls the Tempo with a 250hp New Holland T7.250 tractor, in good conditions drilling at about 14km/h and planting at about 25mm depth, although in rougher conditions this might drop to 8-9km/h.
Each seeding unit holds 1.5 bags of seed and Flint usually does 8-9ha of maize on a full load.
