New seed and fertiliser model added to range of tine drills
- Seed drill supplier KRM Ltd of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire has introduced a new model to its range of mechanical box drills.
KRM have offered box drills from Spanish drill specialist, Sola since 2012. The Trisem-2110 was introduced first with its Elite tine coulters making it suitable for mintill and conventional seed beds – this was joined in 2022 by the SD with is heavy duty SM coulters making it suitable for direct drilling. At the Cereals event in June, KRM will exhibit a twin hopper, seed and fertiliser version of the SD-3115.
The introduction of the new model is a natural progression and has been prompted by an increase in demand from growers looking to apply seed and fertiliser simultaneously and by the availability of grant funding for 60% of the cost of such machines under FETF206.
The new model has a split hopper offering 424/442 litres of capacity for seed and fertiliser respectively. A hopper extension is available as an option increasing these capacities to 490/510.
Two separate metering shafts with their own variator drivelines ensure that accurate, independent rates of seed and fertiliser are achieved. The seed shaft uses a sliding roller design, allowing the SD-3115 to handle all seed types from OSR through to peas and beans. Calibration is straightforward using the full width calibration tray to catch the metered material.
This new 3m machine has 16 coulters giving a row spacing of 18.75cm – wide enough to make mechanical weeding a practical proposition. The new model incorporates the same heavy duty SM tine coulter as the SM-P and SM1909 drills which will work directly into unmoved soil, into min-till seedbeds and into ploughed land. The SM coulter has a narrow, rigid tine that is angled forward for positive penetration with minimum soil disturbance. The tine is tungsten carbide tipped, a very hard-wearing material, for maximum tine working life in the hardest ground conditions. Fertiliser is placed directly behind the tungsten carbide coulter tip with seed placed above.
The coulters are mounted in three rows on a heavy-duty box section frame with a stagger of 40cm to ensure free movement of trash without the risk of blockages. Each coulter mounting incorporates an auto reset spring to protect against damage from hidden obstructions below the soil surface.
Angled harrow tines follow the coulters to ensure the seedbed is left level and firmed for good soil/seed contact and to retain moisture in dry conditions. Bout markers come as standard and pre-emergence markers are available as an option if required.
When tramlining, both seed and fertiliser are shut off, a simple RDS control box keeps track of the tramlining rhythm and warns the operator of any issues. 3 Many farmers are saving costs by using Tine Drills for direct drilling but are also adopting this technique for cereal growing to minimise soil movement in the seedbed for blackgrass control. By combining seed and fertiliser placement in a single machine, further efficiencies and cost savings are realised whilst ensuring that the crop has access to the nutrients it needs. KRM will be exhibiting the new SD-3115 Grain and Fertiliser at the Cereals Event in June 2024.
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