Friday, 01 March 2024 06:55

Precision planter upgrades

Written by Mark Daniel

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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.

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.

The Tempo row unit will be upgraded with Väderstad’s own in-house, newly developed electronic system WSX that features brushless motors and improved cabling performance. While the WSX itself is new technology on the Tempo, its new features enables it to further optimise the Tempo’s planting accuracy.

“The new WSX system enables the integration of three new features to further improve the already market leading accuracy of the Tempo planter,” says Greg Moore, imported brands manager for Norwood.

These include Automatic seed singulation, introduced to ensure a precise seed singulation in the seed meter, without the need for manual setting. Each row unit uses sensors to continuously monitor the seed singulation and automatically adjust the singulators for the optimum setting. This is said to save time and increase productivity in the field.

Active hydraulic row unit downforce has been introduced to ensure precise planting depth, working by automatically adjusting row unit ground pressure depending on the soil conditions. In lighter field areas, pressure will decrease and by contrast, increase in harder or heavier areas of a paddock. The full machine width can be equipped with a single active hydraulic row downforce unit, or individual row units with their own active hydraulic downforce, which helps improve tramlining and preparing un-planted tracks for the sprayer.

Curve compensation ensures a consistent metering output over the entire planter width when turning, meaning inner row units will temporarily decrease their metering rate, while outer row units will increase it. Gyro sensors identify when the machine is turning and adjust the metering output of each row unit to always ensure a consistent rate over the full planter width.

The new features and electronic WSX system for Tempo L 8-32, Tempo V 6-12 and Tempo F 6-8 units will be available in New Zealand for planting in Spring 2025.

The Tempo L 8-24 also gets an upgrade with a liquid fertiliser system equal to the performance of the Tempo L planter, including easier setting, full control, and row-by-row precision.

Featuring a 2000-litre plastic hopper for liquid fertilisers, application can be in the seed row via the row units or beside the seed row via fertiliser coulters. The system is designed for a wide range of different liquid fertiliser rates without changing nozzles to make it user friendly for the operator. The Tempo can handle standard liquid fertiliser doses from 30 to 200 litres per hectare at a row spacing of 750mm and at speeds of up to 15km/h driving speed.

To control the liquid fertiliser metering, flow sensors constantly monitor the output rate, using real-time feedback to automatically maintain the selected output rate

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