Friday, 14 May 2021 11:55

Pasture management made easy

Written by  Mark Daniel
Angled and scalloped single disc assembly combining to create a 7mm wide band, where the crumbled soil creates a micro-climate offering the seed moisture and the seedling protection as it emerges. Angled and scalloped single disc assembly combining to create a 7mm wide band, where the crumbled soil creates a micro-climate offering the seed moisture and the seedling protection as it emerges.

Those looking to use direct seeding to repair grass paddocks or plant catch crops might want to take a closer look at the recently introduced Erth Engineering Agriseeder.

Marketed by Ag and Civil Machinery Direct Ltd, a division of Waikato Tractors in Hamilton, the three metre, 24-row model features a galvanised, heavy-dutry, linkage-mounted frame that weighs in around 1500kg. This carries three independent sections, each carrying eight coulters, mounted to the frame using 40mm heavy-duty torsional rubbers that help absorb shock loads, while also allowing more travel and flexibility.

Offering a row spacing of 125mm (5 inches), the coulter arms have 4.5mm Forge de Niaux boron steel soil engaging tips, followed by an angled and scalloped single disc assembly, both combining to create a 7mm wide band, where the crumbled soil creates a microclimate offering the seed moisture and the seedling protection as it emerges.

Sales manager at Waikato Tractors, Ben Peters says, "by direct drilling into a firm seedbed, seeds are positioned in the fertile areas of the upper levels of the soil profile, moisture is retained and stones and trash are left undisturbed, while the turnaround back to grazing is also reduced."

As part of the standard equipment, an Autocontour system acts as a secondary suspension, with the benefit of offering better ground following in undulating terrain. Each coulter block is pushed downwards using individual hydraulic cylinders. Each of the cylinders is connects, so the downward pressure is equalised over the full width of the machine, despite undulating ground. The system is also said to improve machine reliability, by reducing loads oon the frame mounting points and bearing assemblies throughout the machines.

Seed distribution is taken care of using a Kverneland-sources system, with seed metering via a land wheel drive and fan-based pneumatic distribution, with seeds passing down individual pipes to the coulters. The system features a 400-litre plastic hopper, accessed via a galvanised ladder to a loading platform with a safety rail. Fan speed and seeding information is displayed on a simple readout on the side of the seed hopper, while at the rear of the machine a full width flat roller is fitted for load distribution and consolidation post-seeding.

A range of options includes weight frames for difficult ground conditions, front and rear harrows for conventional tillage situations or improved seed covering in very dry conditions and a second hopper for use with double-entry coulters for fertiliser application at the same time as seeding.

More like this

Featured

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Full cabinet

OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter