A P R I L 2 0 1 3

PLUS: Air seeders and drills Techs & Specs | P. 8 - 16

The world’s largest air seeder carts | P. 4

eqUiPment

Morris disc drill in world wide testing | P. 18

DiSc DriLL PrototyPe

Singulation, the attraction of the one | P. 20

PLanterS: not jUSt for corn

The power of precision seeding

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Western Producer Publications

1-800-667-6978

publisher: SHAUN JESSOME

advertising director: KELLY BERG

managing editor: MICHAEL RAINE (306) 665-3592 (306) 934-2401 FAX mike.raine@producer.com

design & layout: SHELLEY WICHMANN (306) 665-9683 (306) 665-9644 FAX shelley.wichmann@producer.com inquiries: TECHS & SPECS C/O THE WESTERN PRODUCER BOX 2500 SASKATOON, SASK. S7K 2C4 (306) 934-2401 FAX techsandspecs@producer.com

The power of precision

S eeding systems on the market for 2013 show an unmistakable trend away from seeding with a modi-fied cultivator and toward more precise tools.

Precision air seeding systems are not new to the marketplace, but for the first couple of decades after the mid-1980s they were largely machines aimed at true no-till producers, or those who wanted the latest in machinery technology.

The past seven or eight years have delivered more options in disc tools and more advancements in shank-based systems. These are necessary components of variable rate seeding, as there is little point in precision measuring of seed and fertilizer if it is going to be applied with a cultivator shovel, or an opener that mimics one.

Manufacturers say they are seeing a lessening of demand for air seeders in the North American market and a growth in purchasing of air drills. In the drill business there is a rise the sales of precision drills, with individual management of the seed row and, with the right seed meters, even the seed.

Interest in planter technology, based on corn singulation systems, is spreading across the prairie land-scape. Whether or not it is a good fit for western Canadian farmers will likely have more to do with whether or not the big cereal crop on the Prairies becomes corn — a crop that benefits from exact plant spacing, more than the typical small seeded crops benefit from ultra-precise meters.

Research about the agronomic and yield benefits of ultra-precision metering of canola is in its early days. However, growers that reduce their hybrid canola seeding rates, confident that ideal plant stands are being achieved through precision planting, do see an instant return on investment that can reach above $20 per acre.

Planter metering systems don’t necessarily lend themselves to bulk, small seeded crops, however a few manufacturers have addressed single-row metering, and likely more will continue their moves to managing and metering for smaller groups of seed and fertilizer runs with electric meter-section clutches, borrowed from row crop tools, and with a push from precision farming technologies like variable rate and section cutoffs. For some machines already on the market, locking up a rank or two of openers can turn a drill from a 10 inch canola and wheat machine into a 20 inch corn seeder in minutes. Those tools are ready to be fed by near-singulation metering air-seeders with five products being doled out by variable rate systems, for blend-on-the-go fertilizer and full section control. The later tools are largely still in development and testing, but well on their way to the fields.

I think the next few years will bring some exciting developments in air seeder technology that will take even greater advantage of the precision drills we have today and more refined versions that we will see in the near future.

Mike RaineManaging Editor – The Western Producer

4 GoingBig

18 MorrisDiscDrill

20 HigherYieldsWithLessSeed

AIRSEEDERS&DRILLS

8 AmityTechnology

8 CaseIH

9 Bourgault

10 JohnDeere

10 GreatPlains

12 Harmon

12 HorschAnderson

12 K-Hart

13 MorrisIndustries

13 NewHolland

14 PillarLasers

14 Salford

15 SeedHawk

15 Seedmaster

16 Sunflower

16 Versatile

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Air seeding carts are growing. For prairie manufacturers on the both sides of the border, the idea of bigger machines seems to have caught on.

At Langbank, Sask., Seed Hawk has produced a prototype that can keep even the biggest drills running longer between refills.

Empty, it weighs more than many tractors. Loaded, it passes the legal weight of a highway tractor and trailer.

But if it ran over your foot, it would put only 10 pounds per square inch onto your toe.

Seed Hawk has named the world’s largest air seeder cart the 1300, which also happens to be the number of bushels of product it can hold.

“You can pull up to this cart and unload your semi for 20 minutes. When it’s empty, you will still have room for six more tonnes in

the cart,” said Brian Dean of Seed Hawk.It didn’t start out as a new seeder cart

project. Rather, it began life as a 100 foot seed drill.

The company already had an 84 foot drill, which can be appealing for farmers looking for efficiency.

However, large drills can sometimes become inefficient.

The wetter conditions of the past several spring seasons have stopped growers from seeding most of their fields from fence line to fence line in long, straight passes. Even satellite guidance and overlap controls can’t adjust for all the wet spots and ditch runs.

As a result, while bigger can be better, drills in the 60 foot range remain more popular in many cases.

“We were looking at efficiency models using different cart and drill sizes,” Dean said.

“In perfect climates, bigger drills are the answer … and we found that cart fill times were really important and in practical applications bigger was much better.”

Seed Hawk compared three theoretical models up to a 980 bushel cart feeding a 120 foot drill and found that to a point, smaller drills with larger carts were more efficient.

“A 100 foot bar can seed 60 acres an hour. But fill times will get you and if conditions aren’t ideal … well we found that there is a lot more efficiency in the cart than we thought,” he said.

While Seed Hawk isn’t shelving the bigger seed bar, it took a back seat to a new cart.

The company’s biggest cart had previously been 800 bu., but 18 months ago the company began planning for a new line of carts, and decided to start at the top.

Dean says it was a very creative process

GOING BIGcarts Get upsIzed fOr

future farmINGstory and Photos by Michael raine

Western Producer Staff

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that involved thinking about more than just gross size.

They had to establish what would be a reasonable limit for length because when paired with a big drill and a 500 to 600 horsepower tractor, the machine still had to get in and out of fields and farmyards.

A pair of existing cart frames were welded together and testing began to see if a 55 foot long cart would fit into tight field approaches near the company’s headquarters.

“It worked pretty well, better than we guessed,” Dean said.

A large portion of Seed Hawk’s sales, especially with its biggest drills, are to Australia, Russia and other former Soviet republics, which meant the 1300 cart needed to fit into an ocean-going container and meet road width and height restrictions once it arrived at its international destination.

The 1300 is 52 feet and three inches long when out of the box and ready to work. It is 14 feet and three inches wide and 15 feet and three inches tall. Empty, it weighs 34,393 pounds.

The tanks are all separate units, which means that load cells and a scale act as an as-applied rate monitoring device, which lets the operator clutch at the headlands, wait for

the load to stop moving and get an accurate read on the amount of product being applied per acre and make any adjustments to rates based on that data.

Pulling the unit through the field isn’t for the weak of horsepower. On the flat, the big granular product machine tipped the strain gauge on the hitch at 150 h.p. Pulling it uphill topped 200 h.p.

“That’s for the cart by itself,” said Dean.With the drill, it would need another 3.5 to

four h.p. per opener, or 300 to 375 h.p. for an 84 foot toolbar.

“Typically this will be pulled with a 500 to 600 h.p. tractor,” said Dean.

When loaded, the 1300 tips the scales at more than 116,000 lb.

That made tires out of the question because of the risk of soil compaction and the need for six sets, four as duals.

Tires on large carts typically put 17 to 30 pounds per sq. inch onto the soil. The 1300 puts down 10 p.s.i.

Seed Hawk chose an American-made track from Camoplast of Sherbrooke, Que. The company’s Flexhaul tracks were an off-the-

shelf solution that fit the cart’s needs.Seed Hawk installed 100,000 lb. model-100

units on the back and 40 series 40,000 lb. tracks on the front, mounted below a fifth-wheel type steering swivel.

The 36 inch wide rear tracks cover nearly 7,100 sq. inches of soil, while the 25 inch belted front tracks covered 2,300 sq. inches.

“We were worried there might be berming of soil in tight headland turns. Even when we back up the (outer-most, inside tire) of the

drill (in a turn), we might get a two inch ridge. Again it was better than expected,” said Dean.

The prototype drill cart was pulled by a Case IH 535 Quadtrac to seed 2,400 acres last spring on a 60 foot drill, which Seed Hawk uses for research. The 1300 was tested during the summer of 2012 and used for fall seeding last year.

Dean said the company can see a need for the big cart “down the road” but we are still developing the new line and learning from the big machine.

“For instance, most farmers are (fertilizing) soil test. At five miles an hour that can mean 345 pounds of product (per acre) and getting it out to the edge of the drill takes a hell of a lot of air. And there can be humidity issues with that much flow … we are using it as a platform to learn right now,” he said.

The new line of carts, of which the 1300 will be the largest at some point in the future, will find their way to the fields in 2014 for beta testing.

A couple of hours to the south, in Andover, South Dakota, the folks at Horsch Anderson have also been thinking big when it comes to carts.

“But big needs to be mud friendly, as we have found out,” said Jeremy Hughes of the company.

Last spring he was using a John Deere 9560R to pull a prototype 80 foot Sprinter drill and a 1,000 bushel prototype air cart called the Seed Wagon 1000. Both are Horsch Anderson products.

“I was seeding away, out in the field by myself. I drove into a slough and the tractor went down hard,” said Hughes.

“I put it in forward and it just spun out. I put it in reverse and it just spun out again. So I’m stuck out there with this prototype rig … and all the engineers are in South Dakota.”

But Hughes had one thing going for him. The big cart was mounted on big 36 inch by 88 inch tracks from Elmer’s Welding in Altona, Man. While Elmer sells only non-driven tracks, the Horsch Anderson engineers had fitted them with big, beefy hydraulic drive motors at the rear of the assembly.

Hughes had not yet used the new PowerTrak option, but this seemed the opportune time to give it a try. After all, prototypes are built to be broken. When the engineers see where it breaks, they make that part stronger.

“I put the tractor in neutral. I kicked in the p.t.o. to get the dedicated pump flowing and warmed up. Then I put the PowerTrak into the reverse mode,” he said.

“There’s a boost function on the PowerTrak monitor in the cab. And that really makes this a short story. I pressed the button for boost and it pulled me back out of the mud

Continued on page 6

FAr LeFT: Horsch Anderson of south dakota hopes to release its prototype, 1,000 bushel cart within its product line up. The machine’s tracks are driven when the need calls for it, or passive when an extra push through a soft field isn’t required.

LeFT: The cart has its own hydraulic system and as a result needs cooling. Taking advantage of the product fan’s air flow, the cooler is mounted in front of the fan’s input.

BeLOW: A high capacity p.t.o. pump feeds the machine’s typical hydraulic needs, as well as those of the drive motors.

“In perfect climates, bigger drills are the answer.”

— Brian DeanSeed Hawk

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hole. That’s all there was to it. That was the first time I’d tried the hydraulic drive and it worked just great. That’s what it’s there for.”

Hughes said the PowerTrak is not intended for full-time use, unless the field is muddy enough to merit it. The operator would normally run in the off position until he sees he’s going into a soft spot.

Then he activates the pump to get the flow up and punches the boost button. Thirty or 40 seconds later, he’s through the wet stuff and back into the normal seeding mode.

Hughes said the auxiliary pump is the same as what is used on Lexion combines. It transfers 250 horsepower to the rear hubs of the modified Elmers tracks. The two drive motors are the rotary style from Poclean. He said they are the same as those used on four wheel drive combines in Europe.

While auxiliary hydraulic drive on trailers and carts has been available in military and industrial applications, Hughes believes this is the first time it has been tried on a North American agricultural trailer.

He said the concept is simple. If you’re down and stuck in mud, you don’t need all your tractor power to run your drill. If you harness that extra power with a big auxiliary pump and transfer it back to the drive tracks on the cart, you can use it to pull all three implements out of the mud.

“But that’s not what the engineers had in mind. The way it’s really supposed to be used is to keep you from getting stuck in the first place,” Hughes said.

“If you’re seeding around a pothole or you see a soft spot coming, that’s when you engage the PowerTrak. The idea is that, with the rubber tracks providing some push, it will keep you going without getting stuck. Now think about this. How much time will that save you in a really wet spring. I think the answer is lots.”

Farmers who have seen the prototype Seed Wagon with PowerTrak speculate that installing drive on the cart will make the entire rig push out in the turn.

“I can understand the concern, but we have never experienced it, even making big arc turns around potholes or tight turns in the headlands.”

Hughes said one of the features that makes the PowerTrak work so well is the control box that lets the operator dial up the pressure he needs. He said the operator can feel from the seat of his pants when he has the right amount of pushing power.

Because of the weight of a 1,000 bushel cart, engineers decided the Seed Wagon 1000 should be built only with tracks. They felt tires would be too risky.

Each of the four poly tanks are 250 bu. A smaller fifth tank can be added for canola or granular inoculant. Each tank is

Continued from page 5

independently mounted with its own set of ISOBUS compliant scales, which can be viewed in the cab on any compliant monitor.

“We did variable rate this spring with two products. We used the John Deere GS3 for that,” said Hughes.

All tanks can be variable rate, he added. The loading conveyor’s positioning and speed

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are controlled from the cab.The wagon can be either tow-between or

tow-behind. The air system can handle either single or double shoot.

Hughes said there is no definite price yet or target production date, however, like Dean, says the machine is a learning platform for the company.

“That isn’t to say we haven’t got farmers that are interested in owning machines of this size,” he said.

North a few hours to St. Brieux, Sask., and the biggest production air cart in world, the 950 bu., 7950, Bourgault air seeder unit is rolling off the factory floor and into the fields.

With four main tanks, plus a 40 bu., small product, saddle tank, the 7950 rides of 850/80R38 rubber. But even at this size the machine does its best to float across the field, with the tires holding just 15 pounds of air.

Deven Lung engineers machinery at Bourgault and says the need for bigger capacities is farmer driven.

“We wouldn’t be building them if our customers didn’t ask for it,” he said.

“We’ve got an 86 foot 3320 drill with a high-flotation system to plant with. You have to keep it busy, so you pair it with a cart that can keep running longer,” he said.

Metering out seed and products from five tanks is performed by a set of hydraulic motors, allowing each product to get independent rates for full, variable rate seeding.

Humidity in air carts can be an issue, but for this spring the company has an new UMHW liner in its PDM Pro metering auger, preventing sticking inside the tube.

Keeping track of what is happening at the end of the train takes cameras. Each tank gets its own, as well as a rear facing camera that looks back down the field or road. A seven inch monitor feeds the camera images in the tractor’s cab.

In the cab a new Topcon 12 inch controller looks after getting product rates right and monitoring air-flow and providing mapping and guidance. The touch-screen unit has drag and drop screen swapping for fast viewing of the window of choice. The controller will hand rate controls for up to six products and has software that optimizes rates and tank inventory to maximize the acres covered per refill.

Out in the field the machine “isn’t small, but you don’t feel the size once you are rolling,” said Lung.

The unit is 43 feet long and with the big duals on the rear axle it is 21 feet wide and sitting on a scale pad will read about 33,500 pounds, empty.

The machine scales itself, or least its tanks, with load cells on each wheel. A read-out is located on the loader side of the frame and is part of the hand-held remote for the 10 inch conveyor or 12 inch auger, and aids in preventing over-fills. ◆

LeFT: While seed Hawk doesn’t expect to market a large number of the Model 1300 machines, the company says the unit also serves as a research tool to develop a new line of carts.

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Techs 'n' Specs Spring 2013.indd 1 3/7/2013 2:01:49 PM

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MOdeL Air TiLL driLL dOUBLe disC driLL singLe disC driLL

Type hoe disc disc

Designedge-on or C-shank with opt. twin disc, shank mounted levelers

independent linkage, double disc independent linkage, single disc

System 50 degree C or 85 degree edge-on 14 in. disc opposing single discs, no gauge wheel

Opener 5.5 in. shovel, side-band or other opener opt. double disc, conventional tillage system 18 in. single disc

Depth control.25 to 4 in. individual rows and whole frame hydraulic

.25 to 3 in. individual rows and whole frame hydraulic

frame controlled, hydraulic, with col-lar stops

Packing system walking tandem, pneumatic, on row on row, gauge wheel pneumatic, row mounted

Packer 26/6.5-15 semi-pneumatic pneumatic tire

Row spacing (inches) 10 or 15 6 or 6.75 6 or 9 inch paired row

Fertilizer in row with high S.B.U. or side-banded single chute mid-row banding

Machine width (feet) 40, 50, 60 40 or 45 30, 40, 50 , 60

Opt. cutting coulters, fertilizer ribbon banding N/A NH3 banding

AMiTy TeCHnOLOgyAmity Technology provides three drill options, a single disc,

double disc and C-shank. The paired row, single disc model offers built-in mid-row fertilizer banding and hydraulics, on the go seed-ing depth and down pressure settings. The double disc drill is a narrow spacing drill that is capable of precision seeding at higher speeds. The shank drill is a single pass drill that is reminiscent of the Concord no-till drills. For more information visit www.amity-tech.com.

CAse iH driLLThe Case IH

Precision Hoe 800 offers care-ful placement of seed and fertil-izer and good residue flow in uneven conditions due to the unit’s parallel link row unit. Single pass seed and fertilizer,

MOdeL FLeX HOe driLL 400/700 PreCisiOn HOe driLL 800 PreCisiOn disC 500/500T

Type hoe hoe disc

Design C or edge-on shank independent parallel linkage shank single disc

System1 in. x 2 in. 50 degree C or 1. in x 2 in. 85 degree edge-on

hydraulic down pressure on individual shank units

parallel linkage row units, hydraulic rank controls and lock up, variable rate spring pressure

Opener single or double chute double chute sidebandsingle chute, angled 18 in single disc (double chute expected later in 2013)

Depth controlhydraulic, per section, single point setting

pin-stop on row unit; .25 in. to 2 in. pin-stop at .25 increments to 3.5 in.

Packing systemConcord-type round or flat pneumatic tires; steel V; semi-pneumatic

single, on row packing with gauge wheel

twin edged, smooth face tire

Packer6.5 in. pneumatic; 3, 4, 5.5 semi-pneu-matic; steel 3.5 and 4.5

semi-pneumatic; 4.8 in.x 8 in. 4 in. x 12 in. rubber and plastic

Row spacing (inches) 7, 10, 12 10 or 12 7.5/15 or 10/20

Fertilizer dry, liquid, NH3 depending on opener dry, liquid or NH3 double chute expected later in 2013

Machine width (feet)400 models 27, 33, 39, 45, 51; 700 models 60 or 70

50, 60, 70 25, 30, 40

Opt. frame mounted tank 500 T model

even at the highest rates, are placed to take advantage of machine’s design and the latest in agronomy. It has working widths from 50 to 70 feet and maintains a narrow transport width.

Flex hoe air drills are also available in sizes up to 70 feet with smaller units in three sec-tions and larger in five. The shank style drills are designed to provide a traditional seeding solution at a lower cost than a precision drill.

New for 2013, the Precision Disk 500 and 500T are parallel link, single disc drills aimed at cereal producers looking for the option of precision seed metering. The 500T has a mounted air seeder tank and meter system.

The 500 is initially offered in a single chute setup, however the company says a double chute will be available later this year.

For more information visit www.caseih.com

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BOUrgAULTSaskatchewan’s Bourgault has a selection of seed-

ing tools including the 3710 precision coulter drill, the 5810 hoe drill, the 3320 parallel linkage hoe drill and the 8910 C-shank air seeder. The 3710 is a disc drill that provides the reduced tillage benefits of a disc with the trash management systems aimed at Prairie soils and crops. The 3320 precision hoe drill provides individual row management in a hoe drill. When com-bined with a set of mid-row banders, it is a one pass, low disturbance product that can handle highly vari-able terrain. The 5810 C-shank drill has large caster wheels keep the machine level, but able to adapt to changing soil profiles. For more information visit www.bourgault.com

MOdeL 3320 PHd - se, QdA, & XTC

5810 AHd 3710 iCd 8910 CULTiVATOr

Type hoe hoe coulter hoe

Design independent parallel link shank hoe drill independent parallel link shank type/cultivator

System parallel linkage, with indepen-dent shanks

C-shanks, tapered 1.25x2 in. or 1x2 in.

independent parallel link supporting compound angle coulter

C-shanks, tapered 1.25x2 in. or 1x2 in.

Opener variety of options variety of options 20.5 in. coulter with scraping unit

variety of options

Depth control SE & QDA: indexed pin-type, opener dependent, 2.5 in. range, 1/6 in. inc.; 2:1 contour ratio QDA only: quick hydraulic frame adjust with shims; 1.25 in. range, 1/8 in. inc. XTC: indexed quick release, opener dependent; 1:1 contour ratio, gauge wheel depth con-trol; 3.25 in. range, 1/4 in. inc.

single point depth control; 4.25 in. range

individual disc unit setting, pin-type; 4 in. range, 1/4 in. inc.

single point depth control; 6 in. range

Packing system independent packer/gauge wheel

rear frame mount independent packer/gauge wheel

rear frame mount or harrow system

Packer 6-ply 4.8 in. pneumatic packer with tube; 5.4 in. round, 4.5 in. round, and 4.5 in. V-style semi-pneumatic

steel 2.25, 3.5 and 4.25 in.; semi-pneumatic 3 in. or 4 in.; pneumatic 5.5 in. tubeless

4.5 in. double shoulder, offset shoulder, or smooth crown semi-pneumatic, 4.8 in. pneumatic

Heavy-duty gang style, poly-gang style, or poly-indepen-dent mounted (poly-gang style packers only for the 8910-70); 4 bar regular or 3 bar heavy-duty harrows

Row spacing (inches) 10 or 12 in. - Opt. double spac-ing lockout available on select units

9.8 or 12.6 in. 7.5, 10 or 12 in. - Opt. double spacing lockout available on 7.5 & 10 in.

8, 10 or 12 in.

Fertilizer opener dependent; Series 3 mid-row bander opt.

opener dependent; Series 3 mid-row bander opt.

single shoot with opt. Series 3 mid-row bander opt.

opener dependent; Series 25 mid-row bander opt.

Machine width (feet) 40, 50, 60, 66, 76, 86 42, 52, 62, 72 40, 50, 60 30 to 70

Opt. high-flotation system std. on 86 ft, opt. on 60, 66 and 76 ft.

hitch high-flotation system opt. on 60 ft

Fixed or spring-loaded style mud scrapers

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MOdeL 1830/35 sPF Air 1870 (COnserVA-PAK) 1890 1895 sPF

Type hoe hoe disc disc

Design shank precision hoe precision disc precision disc

System51 degree C-shank; spring, 350,550 pound spring

independent linkage, hydraulic row unit

independent linkage, hydraulic row unit

independent linkage, hydraulic row unit

Openervarious, single/double chute from 1 in. knife to 12 shovel

single or paired row 18 in. single disc, single chute18 in. single disc, 2 ranks of seed, one fertilizer

Depth controlshims and ram stops; opt. electric over hydraulic

independent adjustment; seed .25 to 3 inch; fertilizer 2 to 6 in.

.25 increments .25 to 3.5 in. .25 increments .5 to 3.5 in.

Packing system frame mounted gangindependent gauge wheel fixed to row unit

gauge wheel gauge wheel

Packer steel/semi-pneumatic semi-pneumatic, .75 x 9 in.4.5 x 18 in. or 3 x 16 in., semi-pneumatic; steel closers on seed row

4.5 x 18 in. or 3 x 16 in., semi-pneumatic; steel closers on seed row

Row spacing (inches) 7.5, 10, 12.5 12 7.5, 10 10

Fertilizerdouble chute; opt. mid-row bander

double chute dry, liquid, NH3; combinations

single chute mid-row banding

Machine width (feet) 34-62 40 or 56 30, 36, 40, 42.5, 60 20, 36, 40, 43

Opt. harrow; mid-row banders closer wheels, opener coulters closer wheels, opener coulters

JOHn deere driLLWith three hoe drill models John Deere offers a lower cost basic hoe drill in

the 1830. It is available in three and five section models with the company’s Touch Set depth control supporting the C-shank design. Adding a separate fertil-izer coulter system to this drill creates an 1835 SFP, allowing for mid-row band-ing along with the trash clearance attributes of a shank seeding unit. The 1870 is well known to Prairie producers as it was developed in Saskatchewan as the Conservapak drill. The drill provides individual attention to each seed run. With the addition of mid-row banding it becomes a 1870 SPF. For more information visit www.deere.com.

greAT PLAinsGreat Plains Manufacturing of Salina, Kansas has been

building seeding equipment since 1976. The company’s trail-ing, semi-mounted and fully mounted air drills run up to 40 feet in width. The company’s drills are based on a double disc system. Depending on needs and options the system is capable of reduced and zero tillage planting in heavy trash conditions. Great Plains has three newer drills, a 30 foot unit that carries a pair of 100 bushel dry tanks, one for seed

and one fertilizer or both for seed. The 3007HD folds to just 10 feet wide in transport. The 3N 4010HDA is a 40 foot unit with up 350 bushels of seed and fertilizer when using the company’s air-seeding cart. The 2007HD can handle two 82 bushel tanks or a 150, or an 82 and two 200 US gallon liquid tanks.

Star pattern meters keep seed fed to the runs in individual lines, which the company claims ensures accurate metering. For more information visit www.greatplainsmfg.com.

MOdeL nTA3007 nTA3010/3510 3n4010HdA CTA4000/Hd 3n-4010HdA

Type disc disc disc disc disc

Design double or triple disc, parallel arm

triple disc, parallel arm double or triple disc, parallel arm

double disc parallel linkage, double disc

System disc system with constant down pressure from active hydraulic management

disc system with constant down pressure from active hydraulic management

disc system with constant down pressure from active hydraulic management

disc system with constant down pressure from active hydraulic management

disc system with con-stant down pressure from active hydraulic management

Opener 13.5 in. 13.5 in. 15 13.5 in. /15 in. 15

Depth control .25 to 3.5 in., pin set system

.25 to 3.5 in., pin set system

.25 to 3.5 in., pin set system

.25 to 3.5 in., pin set system

.25 to 3.5 in., pin set system

Packing system semi-pneumatic semi-pneumatic semi-pneumatic semi-pneumatic

Packer 13 in. single, or 12 in. double

13 in. single, or 12 in. double

13 in. single, or 12 in. double

13 in. single, or 12 in. double

13 in. single, or 12 in. double

Row spacing (inches) 6, 7.5, 10 6, 7.5, 10 6, 7.5, 10 6, 7.5, 10 7.5, 10

Fertilizer double chute double chute double chute double chute double chute

Machine width (feet) 30 30/35 40 40 40

Other narrow transport, mounted tank

semi-mounted tank semi-mounted tank semi-mounted tank trailed tank

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MOdeL PAnTHer

Type hoe drill

Design shank with floating disc levelers

System 750 lb. trip force, spring mounted shanks

Opener Anderson twin row or single chute openers

Depth control hydraulic stop .25 to 4 in.

Packing system walking beam, tandem pneumatic tire

Packer Titan 7.75x15 tires

Row spacing (inches) 15 or 7.5 with twin row openers

Fertilizer Anderson twin row with triple chute, liquid, dry, NH3 opt.

Machine width (feet) 40, 60

Opt. N/A

HOrsCH AndersOnHorsch Anderson is a 13-year old company in South

Dakota focusing on small grains seeding and tillage equip-ment. It has its roots in the movement to single pass, reduced tillage seeding in the 1980s.

The drill is designed to avoid trash issues, common in high yielding winter wheat crops of the American Midwest and Great Plains.

With 15 inch shank spacings, spread over four ranks the machines avoid raking heavy stubble and provide clear-ance for difficult to manage stubble such as corn.

Optional cutting coulters pave the way for the shanks in very tough conditions. For more information visit www.horschanderson.com.

K-HArTK-Hart double disc drills built at Elrose, Sask., keep front to

back frame distances to a minimum ease of trash clearance and allow for seed furrows to receive individual attention. The units shed mud in wet conditions and rely on K-Hart’s two decades experience in seed row packing for reliable seed to soil contact in wet or dry conditions. The company’s 75 foot double disc is the largest precision disc drill on the market. For more informa-tion visit www.khartindustries.com.

MOdeL 3612 4612

Type disc disc

Design independent double disc independent, parallel link double disc

Systemright/left tracking units and spring loaded packers, gauge wheels

right/left tracking units and spring loaded packers, gauge wheels

Opener 16 in. discs, 17 in. in tractor tire tracks 16 in. discs, 17 in. in tractor tire tracks

Depth control toolless, .5 in. increments toolless, .5 in. increments

Packing system variable force, spring pressure variable force, spring pressure

Packer independent, on row independent, on row

Row spacing (inches) 9, 10, 12 9, 10, 12

Fertilizer single, double chute, mid-row banders single, double chute, mid-row banders

Machine width (feet) 34, 42, 56, 66, 75 34, 42, 56, 66, 75

Opt. trash clearing trash clearing

HArMOnHarmon Industries of Saskatoon offers single, double and

triple chute openers for the company’s parallel link, precision air drill.

The 80 Series uses a 10-degree, forward-set shank. The design allows for individual management of each seedrow. The linkage has an over-centre trip of 350 pounds. Packing is adjust-able on each unit as is seed depth from .25 of an inch to three inches. For more information call 306-931-1161.

MOdeL 80 series

Disc/Opener parallel linkage shank

Drill/fixed shank shank

Working width (feet) 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52

Sections 3,5

Ranks 3

Row spacing (inches) 8, 9.6, 12

Packer type(s) on-row, steel or rubber

Packing adjustable

Opener down pressure spring trip, adjustable

Depth control infinite, hydraulic with stops

Seeding depth range (inches) .25 - 3.5

Shank design hollow, 10 degree forward tine-type shank

Frame depth (inches) 350

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MOrris indUsTriesSaskatchewan’s Morris Industries gives

producers four seeding system options from a parallel link hoe drill, the Contour, the field profile following Maxim hoe, to the rugged Concept 2000 seed tool. The parallel linkage, tine shank Contour, at up to 85 feet wide, is one of the largest precision drills on the market. The Maxim Two hoe drill has a unique frame section coupler that allows the drill to adapt

to highly variable terrain. The four rank configuration and edge-on shanks create large trash clearance areas. A CX 8105 is a marriage of semi-mounted metering cart to a Contour precision drill, although not listed below, it is available in the Prairie market. The Concept 2000 is a floating frame, C-shank air seeder. A precision, parallel linkage, single disc prototype is in testing at Morris. For more information visit www.morris-industries.com.

neW HOLLAndThe parallel linkage P2070 series provides growers with a seed row

independent solution to high fertilizer rates, shallow and precise seeding depths and low draft, fuel-efficient seeding. The P2070s, despite being available at up to 85 foot widths fold for relatively narrow transportation on the road. The P2050 and P2060 are C-shank units with a frame that flexes over variable field profiles. The shank units offer a variety of opener options from simple, single chute knives to paired row double chute sys-tems. For more information visit www.newholland.com/na.

MOdeL C2 COnTOUr driLL MAXiM Air driLL COnCePT 2000 Air seeder

Type precision hoe drill hoe drill air seeder

Design independent, parallel linkage C-shank or edge-on shank C-shank

Systemreclined single shank, hydraulic down-pressure

1 in. edge-on; 1 in or 1.25 in. C shanks, 400 pound spring trip

755 pound spring trip 50 degree shank; 550 or 400 pound trip 47 degree shanks

Openerpaired row, side-band, single tip spreader, narrow knife; double chute

Acra point, 3.5 in. shovel, gumbo boot paired row

a variety of openers

Depth control cam-type, .5 to 2 in. hydraulic hydraulic with central setting unit

Packing system independent on row packing gang packers, frame mounted frame mounted gangs

Packerpneumatic or semi pneumatic, 4.5 x 16; 4.8 x16; 5.5 x 16, 4 x 16 V-shape

3.5, 4.5 steel

Row spacing (inches) 10 or 12 7.5, 10, 12 9, 10 , 12

Fertilizer double chute double chute opener dependent

Machine width (feet) 25, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 80, 86 34, 39, 49, 60 23-48, 26-42, 44-60

Opt. mud guards harrows, rock deflector, scrapers harrow

MODEL P2050 P2060 P2070

Type hoe drill hoe drill hoe drill

Design C-shank C-shank; edge-on shankdouble pivot toggle trip hoe on parallel arms

System

Openerwide variety, double chute, paired row, etc.

wide variety, double chute, paired row, etc.

double chute, side-band

Depth control hydraulic, 3 section rock-shaft individual units, .125 to 2 in. / press wheel

Packing system frame mounted gangframe mounted gang or walking beam tandem

independent, on-row

Packersteel, rubber; 3.5 or 4.5 x 22 in.; 3, 4, 5, x 22 in.

steel, rubber, semi-pneumatic, pneumatic; 3.5 or 4.5 x 22 in.; 3, 4, 5, x 22 in.; 5.9 or 6.5 in. x 22 in.

semi-pneumatic, rounded/smooth 4.8 x 8 in.

Row spacing (inches)

7, 10, 12 7, 10, 12 10, 12

Fertilizer opt. mid-row band double chute double chute

Machine width (feet)

27, 28, 33, 34, 39, 46, 52, 58 60 or 70 50, 60, 70

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MOdeL disC HOe 4010/5010/6010

Type disc

Design independent Barton-type disc hoe

System double chute, single disc with hoe opener

Opener paired row, integrated with disc

Depth control gauge wheel, 5/16 increments, 5/16 to 3.5 in.

Packing system variable packing

Packer semi-pneumatic, V, 12 in. or 16 in.

Row spacing (inches) 12

Fertilizer double chute, liquid or dry

Machine width (feet) 40, 50, 60

Opt. N/A

PiLLAr LAsersThe Barton Disc Hoe is being offered as a drill by Warman, Sask., com-

pany Pillar Lasers. The DH-4010 is a 40, 50 or 60 foot toolbar with over head frame and toolbars mounted below for open trash clearance. The disc hoe design pairs high rates of fertilizer parallel and below the seed row. The large single disc offers low wear and reduced hairpinning. The drill is a true zero-till unit. For more information visit http://pillarlasers.com.

MOdeL Air seeder dOUBLe disC driLL

Type hoe disc

Design C-shank double disc drill

System three section, floating, shank-style; opt. residue management coulter double tool-bar, independent double disc row units

Opener single/double chute, variety of options double disc

Depth control .25 in. increments .25 in. increments

Packing system pivoting, on-row pivoting, on-row

Packer semi-pneumatic; rubber - 4 in. semi-pneumatic; rubber - 4 in.

Row spacing (inches) 9.5 6, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 30

Fertilizer double chute; mid-row banding double chute; mid-row banding

Machine width (feet) 22, 30, 40 30, 40, 50, 60, 70

Opt. mid-row shank/bander mid-row bander

sALFOrdThe Salford 525/522 Precision Disc Air Drills use a pair of twin toolbars for improved residue flow and has a multitude of row spacing and fertil-izer application options. The 500 series double disc openers adjust from 90 to 500 pounds down pressure. The closing wheel helps to maintain accurate depth control. The row units can be set up for split-row or side banding fertilizer. Optional coulters can be added for no-till residue management and mid-row fertilizer application. With walking tandems on the mainframe and caster wheels across the machine the 525 frame is designed for ground following over uneven field profiles.

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seedMAsTerSaskatchewan’s Seedmaster offers twin row seeding with a separa-

tion of seed and fertilizer that provides a safe distance for high rates of nutrients from even the most delicate of seedlings. The system pro-vides precise seeding as shallow as one eighth of an inch. On-row pack-ing delivers single row control, with hydraulic tine and packer pressure management. Air driven seed delivery uses individual row metering to ensure accurate seeding rates. Optional singulation for canola is available, with corn singulation air seeding in development. Seed and fertilizer, liquid or dry are frame mounted or semi-mounted. The com-pany also produces tender carts to feed product to the drills. For more information www.seedmaster.ca.

seed HAWK driLLsSeed Hawk of Langbank, Sask., offers the optional ability to cut off mul-

tiple sections of its seed drills and remove the individual shanks, in small gangs, from the soil, avoiding overlapping of seed and fertilizer and seedbed disturbance. Integrated, on-row packing ensures that each seed row is treated individually, with central, hydraulic management. The company’s drills limit soil disturbance while still leaving a soil-warming, black line of dirt from the individual twin row, tine shank system. The Seed Hawk machines place seed and fertilizer near one another, protecting seedlings, but making nutrients available. For more information visit www.seedhawk.com.

MOdeL XL 45 series 30 series

Type hoe hoe hoe

Design independent precision hoe drill independent precision hoe drill independent precision hoe drill

System twin knives, active hydraulic down-pressure

twin knives, active hydraulic down-pressure

twin knives, active hydraulic down-pressure

Opener knife/twin knife knife/twin row knife/twin row

Depth control mechanical, .25 increments to 3.5 in. mechanical, .25 increments to 3.5 in. mechanical, .25 increments to 3.5 in.

Packing system gauge wheel, on row packing gauge wheel, on row packing gauge wheel, on row packing

Packer pneumatic 10 to 20 p.s.i./semi pneumatic pneumatic 10 to 20 p.s.i./semi pneumatic pneumatic 10 to 20 p.s.i./semi pneumatic

Row spacing (inches) 10 or 12 10 or 12 10 or 12

Fertilizer double chute double chute double chute

Machine width (feet) 65, 66, 72, 80, 84 30, 40, 50, 60 20 and 26

Opt. twin row twin row twin row

MOdeL seedMAsTer TXB sTAndArd seedMAsTer CT TXB seedMAsTer TXB M-FOLd

Disc/Opener parallel arm, knife openers parallel arm, knife openers parallel arm, knife openers

Drill/fixed shank independent shank independent shank independent shank

Working width (feet) 20 - 66 30 - 70 72 - 100

Sections 1,3 3, 5 7

Ranks 2,3 2,3 3

Row spacing (inches) 10, 12, 14 10, 12, 14 10, 12, 14

Packer type(s) pneumatic, on row, independent pneumatic, on row, independent pneumatic, on row, independent

Packing (lb. per sq. inch) 0-250 0-250 0-250

Opener down pressure (lb. per sq. inch) 0-250 0-250 0-250

Opener travel (inches) 15.25 15.25 15.25

Spacing options (inches) 10, 12, 14 10, 12, 14 10, 12, 14

Depth control hydraulic, independent hydraulic, independent hydraulic, independent

Seeding depth range (inches) .25-4 .25-4 .25-4

Shank design independent shank independent shank independent shank

Frame depth (feet) 22 22 22

Trip assembly (type/lbs. sq. inch) hydraulic, independent hydraulic, independent hydraulic, independent

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MOdeL 9700 (COnCOrd) 9800

Type hoe disc

Design shank with 5 inch opener independent 18 in. disc, four per row unit

Systemlarge S.B.U. of 50 percent with optional front row coulters for trash, option disc furrow levelers and optional mid-row banding

four seed disc and 2 opt. fertilizer discs and a pair of packers reside on each 30 in. row unit.

Opener 5 in. single 18 in. disc.

Depth control hydraulic, collar spacers hydraulic, collar spacers, 1.8 in. to 3 in.

Packing system on-row packing, frame mounted walking beams hydraulic, cab operated, independent row units

Packer pneumatic 6 x 26 in. pneumatic tires w/a five degree offset, row mounted 6 x 26 in.

Row spacing (inches) 10 6 to 9 in. paired row

Fertilizer seed row placed; opt. mid-row banding opt. mid-row banding, dry, liquid, NH3 or combinations

Machine width (feet) 40, 50, 60 30, 40 , 50, 60

Opt. mid-row banding, front trash coulters, disc levellers mid-row banding

sUnFLOWerAgco’s Sunflower single disc drill puts all openers on a single row,

in six or nine inch spacings, 15 or 23 inches when set as paired rows. Cab controlled hydraulics keep down-pressures appropriate to the seed row. The gauge wheel runs behind the seed disc, allowing soil to be well disturbed between the discs, creating a six inch black line and avoiding single-disc hairpinning of stubble. Each seed row unit sup-ports two seed discs and two pairs of closer-discs and a pair of large packer wheels, which are offset at five degrees for scrubbing. For more information visit www.sunflowermfg.com

VersATiLeVersatile’s ML precision hoe drill allows for cab control of seed fur-

row structure, seed depth and packing pressure. The independent hoe drill relies on a mechanical, spring governed linkage to manage each row. Packing pressure is variable from 10- to 400 pounds and three or four inch packers are semi-pneumatic. A variety of openers allow for single through triple chute setups.

The C-shank air drills offer heavy duty frames and systems that simple to set and provide single or double chute seeding.

For more information visit www.versatile-ag.ca

MOdeL ML930/950 dH730/750

Type hoe

Design precision hoe drill shank hoe drill

Systemindependent, parallel linkage, spring pressure maintained ground contact

47 degree C-shank w/ 350 or 500 pound spring trip

Opener side band, paired row, knife single or double chute single or double chute, variety of options

Depth controloperator/cab controlled hydraulic, automated pressure balancing

mechanical stops in .125 increments, hydraulic

Packing system independent, on row frame mounted gang

Packer semi pneumatic steel; semi-pneumatic

Row spacing (inches) 10, 12 8, 10, 12; 10 or 12.25 for 750 model

Fertilizer dry, liquid, NH3 double chute, opener dependent

Machine width (feet) 42, 52, 62, 70 28, 33, 37, 40, 48, 56, 60

Opt. NA NA

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A COMBinATiOn of walking axle technology and reduced cutting angle produces narrow, easy to close furrows at higher speeds.

A new disc drill designed to work faster and boost seed placement accuracy is expected to be available soon to prairie farmers.

Morris Industries has been researching and designing their new depth controlled opener system since 2009. It tried nine different opener systems on a plot drill in a variety of field conditions.

Ultimately, it settled on a 20 inch flat disc connected to a 13 inch double-shouldered packer by a walking axle, which obtains down pressure from a hydraulic system similar to what is on the company’s Contour drill.

Don Henry of Morris Industries said vertical discs can have problems penetrating in some soil conditions.

However, unlike competitors that pile weight on to get the discs to stay at depth, Morris uses walking axle technology, in which disc and packer work against one another.

“The disc is connected on a walking axle to packing wheel,” Henry said. “It pivots in the middle, so if the front disc wants to ride out of the ground the back packer will force it back in.”

The walking axle allowed Morris to reduce the cutting angle the discs need to penetrate the soil. As a result, Henry said, there is less smearing on the disc and the furrow is easier to close.

To apply pressure on the opener, Morris uses a hydraulic down pressure system.

“There is a cylinder on every one of the disc openers. We use an

accumulator in the system. So once you put the unit into the ground with your tractor, you can release your remote and then oil is exchanged through the accumulator as it goes over the contours of the ground.”

mOrrIsdIsc drILL desIGNed tO

ImprOVe seed pLacemeNtstory by robin Booker

Photos by Michael raine Western Producer Staff

“You can really pile on the miles with that machine”

— Robert Misko

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mOrrIs

To improve seed placement accuracy the easily adjustable gauge wheels are on the discs where seed placement takes place.

The gauge wheel has spokes, allowing mud to flow through in wet conditions preventing build up, which can stop the disc, Henry said.

To reduce seed bounce, the seed table is backward swept to the disc so it drops seed in the same direction of travel.

The openers have 16 inches of total travel, , eight up and eight down, making them able to accommodate heavily variable field conditions. As well the disc unit can oscillate 15 degrees, allowing the packer, gauge wheel and disc to follow the soil at all times.

A carbide disc scraper and seed boot will accept 1 1/8 or 1 5/8 hoses.

Setting depth is a single pin, cam

LeFT: The new disc drill will be available in 40, 50 and 60 foot widths and should reach the marketplace by 2014. Ten of the units are in testing this summer. Morris officials say that while not every farmer is looking to own a disc drill, there are many considering the machines for reduced tillage and for areas where disc machines and planters are more common.

arrangement, similar to the system on the company’s Contour drill.

Last summer, Morris fielded four prototype drills: one 40 foot drill in Kazakhstan and one in East Australia, as well as a 40 and 60 foot drill in Canada. This summer 10 will be tested, a pair in Kazakhstan, four in Australia and four in North America.

Robert Misko farms near Bield, Man., and he seeded about 3,500 acres into wheat, canola and corn with the 60 foot prototype last spring.

The seeder allowed Misko to seed at about 7.5 m.p.h., and seed up to 60 acres per hour.

“You can really pile on the acres with that machine,” Misko said.

“I was impressed. There is no real downside to it. You can seed fast, field finish is very smooth and seed placement is much more accurate than a shank.”

There is no shortage of stones or awkward fields in the Bield hills, but Misko said the drill performed well in challenging conditions.

“They don’t actually apply that much force in the ground. The disc can come out quickly and go up and over when it hits a stone,” Misko said.

“It goes through the stony stuff and up and down trough the hills and dips and stays consistent. You will probably do more in an

hour than an 85 foot drill with shanks. A 60 foot drill is a big machine, but it’s much better then an 85 foot or 90 foot drill when you’re trying to get into difficult places.”

Misko said independent openers that have the gauge wheel two or three feet behind the opener will never be as accurate in terms of depth control as drills like this model that have the gauge wheel right beside the coulter.

“When you hit a lump the shank goes right through it before the tire can pick it up. Then when the gauge wheel does hit the lump, it picks the shank up two feet past where it needed to be brought up,” Misko said.

“This machine has a gauge wheel right beside the disc, so wherever you set it at, that’s where it sits at.”

Morris is testing 10 units around the world this spring, and plans on being in full commercial production by the spring of 2014. It will be producing 40, 50 and 60 foot models, which will be offered with 7.5, 10 and 15 inch row spacing. The 7.5 inch model will offer a lockup of every second opener, making it a 7.5 and 15 inch unit.

“We think the machine is ready to go, but we want to put a manageable number of them out there in case there is something we haven’t seen yet, so we will be able to react to it in a small way and make the changes necessary,” Henry said. ◆

At Bourgault Tillage Tools, we strive to build high quality, innovative tillage and seeding openers while providing industry leading service. We build openers for all makes and models of

implements. Farmers all over the world rely on the quality our products bring them.

But don’t take it from us... Ask one of your neighbours.

GARY MARTENSFlexi-Coil 5000

SCOTT CARSONBourgault 3310

Al GARNERBourgault 5710

REG & DEB WALDENNBERGER New Holland P2070

DEVIN CRANFIELD Morris Contour

TROY ELIASON New Holland P2060

GARY ARNST Case IH PHD800

800-878-7714www.tillagetools.com

We talked to farmers across Western Canada and the United States and they have shared their story about how BTT fits their color!

Visit us online or pick up the 2013 Product Catalogue to read these stories.

Pick up your copy of the 2013 catalogue today

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COrn And soybean frontiers push further north and west each year, driven by improved varieties, new technology and possibly a warming climate.

This creates new seeding challenges for farmers accustomed to putting cereal and canola seeds through an air seeding system.

Although manufacturers have had success adapting air systems to corn and soybeans, planters are typically required to achieve the seed singulation that those high value crops need.

Seedmaster’s Norbert Beaujot, who has developed corn and canola meters that combine the two systems, says they are as close to planter regulated as can be expected

from air seeding systems.He said it isn’t an issue for crops that are

seeded half an inch apart, such as wheat or flax, but it becomes more important for corn, canola, sunflowers and possibly chickpeas, which have ideal plant spacing of two to 14 inches and high seed costs.

Farmers need to consider the planter to become more precise, said farmer Craig Shaw of Lacombe, Alta., who has spearheaded a canola and planter project that has one working on a few local farms and the local Agriculture Canada research centre.

“If we can even up the canola crop, have it not compete with itself for nutrients and stunting out and killing smaller seedlings and

generally be more efficient in our production, it might be five bushels more (yield) and save a couple of pounds of seed,” he said.

“Is that $70 dollars an acre? Or more?”By their very nature, corn plants hate each

other. Planted too close together, they battle to the death for supremacy.

If one seed emerges a day behind its cousin, the big cousin views it as a weed and expends a lot of expensive energy trying to kill it. That’s why a successful corn stand needs perfect uniformity of seed distribution within the seed row.

Corn growers spend $80 to $90 per acre on seed, so they expect precise planting.

Soybeans aren’t as antagonistic toward

Air seeders equipped with regulAtors for smAller seeds work, but not As well

As A plAnterstory and Photos by ron Lyseng

Western Producer Staff

HIGHer YIeLdWItH Less seed

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each other, but singulation still makes for better yields, say agronomists. Beans planted with a planter are nearly identical in size and weight at maturity, while those planted with an air system have lower yield and a greater range in size and weight of the beans.

Soybean seed with inoculation starts at $95 per acre. Beans planted in a planter require 160,000 to 180,000 seeds per acre, while an air fed drill requires 200,000 to 220,000.

Novice row croppers on the Prairies might not want to spend $100,000 to $250,000 on the latest planter technology, but a few are buying used planters for $20,000 to $30,000.

Planters made by Deere, Case, Monosem and Kinze typically have four to 16 rows. Most of the older units would likely be on 36 inch row centres and some may still have the finger style singulators. The newer planters typically have narrower spacing and use a vacuum system for seed selection.

Seed grower Rob Park is a former oilseeds agronomist for Manitoba Agriculture who farms 2,000 acres at Carman, Man. He said his father started planting corn in the early

1980s using a four row John Deere machine on 36 inch rows. They have gradually moved up to an early 1990s 12 row JD on 30 inch rows that they expect to keep a few more years.

“We’ve always had John Deere planters. That’s not to say Deere is necessarily the best, but it’s the most popular planter so it’s easier to get parts and there are a lot of options and configurations available,” said Park.

“We paid $25,000 three years ago. Since then, we’ve put in 1,000 acres of soybeans and 400 to 500 acres of corn each year. It will go on forever at that pace as long as we stay on top of the maintenance.”

He thinks 1,500 acres a year is about the maximum a person can cover with a 12 row planter, especially if soybeans are in the mix.

He stops to fill every 22 acres when seeding soybeans, once every hour or so.

“I think the economics of corn and soybeans, and maybe someday the economics of lower seeding rates in canola, will prompt a lot of farmers to start looking for used planters,” he said.

“And there are a lot of them for sale in southern Manitoba, southern Alberta and the northern States.”

Park said producers should buy according to the wear on the machine rather than the year of the machine. Finding a good one may require some detective work.

He said there’s an abundance of used planters in the States that are less than five years old. But at that tender age, many are already fodder for the scrap heap.

“Here in southern Manitoba, you’ll find a lot of good used planters that are about 10 years old and the guy only planted 1,000 acres a year. That’s 10,000 acres,” he said.

“A lot of those U.S. planters do 10,000 acres or more in a year, and they push them hard down there. I think that if the paint looks good and there’s no welding repairs, it’s probably a decent piece of machinery.”

He said structural integrity is vital in any type of in-ground equipment. A planter has a heavy draft that puts a lot of force on the frame, just like an air drill or cultivator. Farmers shouldn’t assume that a planter is

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FAr LeFT: seed grower rob Park says there’s nothing wrong with buying a used corn planter if you want to jump on the corn/soybean band wagon without a major investment. He paid $25,000 for this early 1990s planter and uses it to put in 1,000 acres of soybeans and 400 to 500 acres of corn every year.

TOP CenTre: Compared to an air drill, the vacuum fan on a planter requires relatively little power, but there is no tolerance for leaks.

LeFT: The seal at the center of the disc and the seal around the outer perimeter must both be in perfect condition on every seed run in order for the vacuum system to provide the required precision.

ABOVe: The brushes that clean the seed selection discs must be replaced every few thousand acres. if not, residue builds on the seed selection discs resulting in skips in the seedrow.

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an easier pull or can’t be damaged. Weld repairs, added braces and gussets tell the history of the machine.

“Loose or wobbly packing wheels are one of the very first signs of a planter that’s been beaten up,” he said.

“If the packers are sloppy and loose, or if they’re seized up, it’s a good indication the machine has seen some rough use and a lot of acres.

“Gauge wheels are the next indicator. If they’re loose or wobbly, those expensive seeds won’t go where they’re supposed to go. And precise seed placement is the reason for buying a planter in the first place. You defeat your purpose if the machine isn’t giving you precise seed placement.

“You’re in for a larger rebuild project if the packers and gauge wheels are bad. It’s doable, but it takes a lot more time and money.”

The double opening discs need to be examined closely. Park said it’s essential they meet at the forward point of the V so soil spreads left and right. Soil passes through to clog up the seed trench if the V tip isn’t closed up tight at the front. When that happens, seeds cannot drop onto the bottom of a clean firm seedbed on the trench bottom.

“If you have one inch of wear on the discs, you will not get a clean opening for the seedbed. You don’t want any soil sneaking through the tip of the V where the discs meet.”

Park said the seed selection plates on the seed metering mechanism wear over time and need to be replaced. The brushes that keep the seed selection discs clean should be replaced every 2,000 acres.

When seed leaves the metering unit, it drops into the seed tube and then down into the trench if the tube is in good condition. The tube runs in the soil in the trench so it is susceptible to wear.

“The seed tube needs to be checked. If there’s a problem in the tubes, seed won’t fall directly into the channel,” he said.

“It falls slightly off to the side where they have a distinct disadvantage. You want every seed to drop straight down into the channel.”

Park said he’s never had a problem with the bearings in the metering housing. However, seals must be replaced every few years to maintain the correct vacuum.

“I’ve got to emphasize that if the vacuum isn’t tight and secure, the planter will not function correctly.”

He said there is an annual cost associated with running an older planter.

His 12-row unit has more than 200 bearings, ranging in price from $10 to $25 each. Some need replacement every year, while others go for a decade or longer. He said that kind of maintenance is essential for the machine to function as designed.

A vacuum planter is easy to use and maintain once farmers figure it all out, he added. It’s easy to change the seed plates for different crops, and most adjustments and part replacements are simple.

Park said a used planter can be a good investment and can help increase profits, but it’s a precise piece of machinery that provides less value to the grower if it doesn’t function correctly.

“On our next move up, we’ll go bigger for sure, and we’ll want newer technology. We’ll probably look pretty closely at Case IH. They have a number of unique advances in recent years,” he said.

“As for new or used, it will definitely be used. As long as we’re only doing 1,500 acres a year, I can’t justify $125,000 or more for a new planter. Some of my contract seed growers are buying new planters, but they’re putting in 3,000 or 4,000 acres a year, so they need new equipment and the latest technology. For me, used planters work just fine.” ◆

TOP LeFT: While the latest high tech planters feature full digital control from the cab, rob Park says the old conventional chain drive still works fine for him.

ABOVe: rob Park says it’s essential that the V point of the two discs meet tightly so no stray soil sneaks into the firm, clean seed trench.

TOP rigHT: A vacuum system is far more sensitive to leaks than a pressurized air delivery system. The slightest vacuum leak can cause major problems with the delicate seed singulation process.

LeFT: if there’s too much play in the packer or the gauge wheels, or worse yet if they’re seized, it’s a good indicator the planter has put in a lot of acres and will need a major re-build.

PILLAR LASERS INC. / Box 1940, Warman, SK S0K 4S0 Fax: 306-242-1085 / E-mail: dick@pillarlasers.com

Ph: 306-242-4955 / Web: www.pillarlasers.comOur shop is located at 117 Haichert Street West in Warman, Saskatchewan.

Pillar Heavy Harrows

• Hydraulic frame height and down pressure adjustment

• Heavy duty construction• Positive hitch weight in transport

• Hydraulic adjust tine angle• Hydraulic outer wheel rotation• Level gauges

The Pillar Heavy Harrow will be offered in lengths of 52’, 60’, 72’ and 84’.

• Walking Beam Frame - improves contouring and weight distribution

• Frame Depth Control• Parallel Lift Sub frame

• Excellent accessibility to tools• Available in 40’, 50’ and 60’ widths

Pillar Disc/Hoe Drills

Be ready.

©2013 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. Case IH is a registered trademark of CNH America LLC. www.caseih.com

From 350 to 600hp, Case IH Steiger® series tractors come in six different models to give you the right power for your operation. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology allows the engine to generate more power with less fuel. Both wheeled and Quadtrac® options are agronomically designed to minimize compaction for maximum yields. Add to that AFS AccuGuide™ that delivers full auto guidance in both forward and reverse, plus a full-cab suspension for total comfort, and you’ll find a tractor optimized for your farm. Learn more about Steiger series tractors by visiting your Case IH dealer or go to www.caseih.com/steigerwpg413.