Additional equipment at the Cereals event
- Maschio Gaspardo will be bolstering its line-up with a raft of new machines at Cereals in June
- The new additions include Primo fertiliser spreaders, Gigante no-till direct-drills, Terremoto cultivators and Toro power-harrows, equipped with ISOBUS
- The machines can be viewed at Cereals 2023 on the Maschio Gaspardo stand: 814b
Although new to the UK, these high specification implements have been available throughout the rest of Europe and beyond for a number of years and, as such, are well proven in the field.
Primo twin-disc fertiliser spreaders use some clever technology to make them some of the most precise high output machines on the market. The key feature that sets them apart is the use of twin shutters – one set to deal with rate control and another to shut off the flow of fertiliser at the headlands.
The key advantage of this is that the on/off shutters can work independently of the rate control sliders making for rapid shut-offs without influencing application rates. This means that as the spreader reaches the headland it shuts off quickly so that there’s no overlapping with the headland bout.
The version on display at Cereals will be a Primo Isotronic Exclusive model with 32 section GPS-controlled headland shutoff and variable rate compatibility with the ability to alter application rates to left and right discs independently for the highest levels of precision.
Having been built for over 30 years, Gaspardo direct drills are well proven in the field. The Gigante is a disc-coultered no-till seeder which is available in working widths of up to 6m and a choice of either 15cm or 18cm row spacings. Twin hoppers can be used to supply both seed and fertiliser to the coulters which employ disc openers ahead of tapered coulter-boots. Alongside this run rubber or steel gauge wheels, which work in conjunction with the unit’s coil spring linkage, to maintain an even seeding depth. Finally, angled closing wheels firm things up and ensure decent seed-to-soil contact.
The Terremoto is designed as a high-speed stubble cultivator. Available in working width from 3m to 5m, it has three rows of ripper tines which can be fitted with a range of points to suit the soil type and working depth required. In addition, it is also possible to adjust their pitch to vary how aggressively they work. Both shearbolt and coil spring overload protection versions are available. Following the tines is a row of scalloped discs which provide a levelling effect and help to chop and incorporate any crop residue ahead of the rear packer roller.
The Terremoto is a versatile tillage tool that can be used to break up compacted, panned stubbles, generate a stale seedbed prompting a flush of weed seeds or simply be used to produce a decent tilth ahead of the drill.
Along with a raft of other upgrades, Maschio’s flagship Toro power-harrows can now be fitted with ISOBUS controls. While the technology is now commonplace on many combination drills and other implements, Maschio is the first manufacturer to offer the system on standalone power-harrows.
With more and more tractors having the facility to control implements via their on-board computers, the system provides the opportunity to monitor certain key functions to optimise productivity and warn of potential issues.
Among the many parameters the Isotronic system can handle are gearbox oil temperature, clutch slippage, rotor speed, power consumption, hours and area worked. In addition, it can be used to control working depth and universal joint alignment when folding for transport.
The combination of rotor speed sensors and a load-cell monitoring power consumption through the central gearbox provides operators with an indication of the stress the driveline is being put under. Alongside gearbox oil temperature monitoring this enables them to adjust work-rates accordingly and identify any potential mechanical issues before they develop.
Related news: