The DTEK Rapido power harrow is a heavy-duty folding unit featuring Twin Force Tek – matched pairs of rotors fitted with calibrated Timken taper roller bearings to ensure consistent build tolerances across the trough, enhancing reliability and longevity.

Rapido quick-fit drop forged tines are fitted as standard with two tungsten carbide options available to further limit downtime.

Three rear rollers are offered – a notched steel Trapeze ring press, a rubber ridge roller and a conventional ‘hedgehog’-type packer.

Optional, on-the-move, hydraulic depth adjustment is a useful option particularly in areas with widely varying soil types.

Mounted on the rear of the power harrow via a parallelogram linkage, the seeding bar provides a consistent, uniform drilling depth across all coulters. Spacings are standard at 12.5cm with 15cm rows an option.

Each individual 355mm boron disc coulter is mounted to the toolbar via a rubber shock absorber system which offers maintenance-free operation.

The discs also have maintenance-free double taper-roller bearings. Staggered at 43cm, each opener can generate up to 60kg of downforce, ensuring consistent surface penetration irrespective of soil conditions.

Positioned above the seeding bar, the distribution head incorporates a patented Turbo Rotal impeller system which ensures uniform distribution to each outlet even at very low application rates.

A front and rear combination drill offers a series of benefits. By providing even weight distribution across both axles, deep tractor wheelings are kept to a minimum especially in wetter conditions.

The option of press wheels on the ASPro front hopper can further spread the load and aid in pre-drilling soil consolidation.

With a 1,900-litre capacity, the ASPro front hopper features a stainless steel Dosal electronic metering unit capable of dealing with application rates as low as 2kg/ha and as high as 450kg/ha.

The system offers easy rate changes without needing to switch metering rollers. This is done via the RDS Super control box – a user-friendly interface which offers electronic calibration and monitoring of the metering roller, fan speed and seed level.

With its split hopper and twin metering unit, Alpego’s front hopper range also includes the ASMax which can offer wider working widths of up to 8m, pairing well with the brand’s flagship DMax power harrow.

Both front tanks are available as standalone units to work in conjunction with other machinery such as precision drills.

Cereals stand number: 1017

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The Cereals Event provides the perfect platform for new product releases, with excellent visitor numbers and a large proportion of attendees being decision makers, Amazone says.

The venue at Roy Ward Farms, Leadenham, will yet again see Amazone showcase a plethora of new kit on stand 834.

The new additions to the stand will encompass seeding, plant protection, in the form of both chemical and mechanical weed control, as well as precision planting and sustainable cultivation techniques.

A brief glimpse of what will be on show…

New trailed cultivator drill

Built for high output and precision, the Cirrus Grand trailed cultivator drill is designed for large work rates at wide working widths, without compromise on seed placement or crop establishment.

Available in both 8m and 9m working widths, the Cirrus Grand features a new triple chamber 5,750-litre hopper – split 40:50:10 – giving the option of simultaneously sowing up to three different products – either seed only, seed and fertiliser, cover crop mixes plus an additional microgranular or small seed application.

All three products are placed in the seeding furrow.

Going into more detail, the Cirrus Grand, thanks to its individual row shut-off system and the new recirculating distribution head, brings the amount of overlap on the ins and outs down to less than 1%.

Each coulter’s shut-off timing is highly accurate, thanks to the automatic adjustment that compensates for seed pipe length, Amazone reckons.

This ensures pinpoint accuracy and minimal waste – ideal for farms aiming to reduce input costs while maximising output.

With the new distributor head, tramlines can be drilled to suit any sprayer width or track width and the row spacing can be set from the cab.

The newly designed Matrix tyres continue Amazone’s philosophy of strip-wise consolidation, applying consolidation only onto the seed row whilst leaving the soil between rows loose to allow for good water infiltration.

Also new for 2025 is the option of front tools: full width T-Pack front packer, hydraulically adjustable Crushboard, or just with guide wheels.

New TopCut 12000-2T cutting roller combination

At a time when chemistry is struggling to provide the field hygiene that we require and the preservation of soil moisture becomes more crucial, cultivation techniques are changing as growers look to move less soil yet still control weeds, volunteers, pests and disease carryover in the following crop.

The new 12m cutting roller combination, the TopCut 12000-2T, is aimed at covering ground quickly with minimal disturbance yet the ideal germination conditions to maximise regrowth.

The TopCut 12000-2T cutting roller combination consists of up to three consecutive tool segments plus a rear element; each of which can be equipped with various tools to suit individual needs and requirements.

Upfront, there is the option of an initial knife roller.

This is followed by the main tool elements covering the second and third rows; this can be either a double knife roller, two rows of Minimum TillDisc wavy discs – or a mix of both.

By running a mix of discs and knife roller, the organic matter is cut both longitudinally and laterally.

Bringing up the rear is either a three-row straw harrow or, if there is no upfront knife roller, a full set of packers.

The double knife roller is ideal for shredding long stalks such as cover crops and oil seed rape haulm, promoting decomposition and encouraging seeds to germinate.

To further improve straw distribution after the combine, a heavy-duty three-row harrow can be used behind the main tools.

In addition to distributing the straw, it knocks the seeds out of the straw, seed pods or ears as well as producing additional fine soil; this again favours weed emergence.

The aggressiveness of the harrow can be altered hydraulically from the cab whilst on the move.

As an alternative, full-width packer rollers are available to reduce the drying out of the soil by optimising the reconsolidation.

Venterra mechanical weeding systems

The newly designed Amazone Venterra hoes now encompass three models – the Venterra 1K, in widths of 1.3–4.2m, the Venterra VR4 in widths from 7.2–12.8m and the model on the stand, the new Venterra 2K in widths from 4.5–6.75m.

Row widths start from just 12.5cm, meaning the Venterra can be used in almost any crop situation.

At the heart of the Venterra are the parallelogram tool holders which hold the easily adjustable hoeing blades, finger weeders, crop protection discs, etc.

Here, depending on the cropping, row spacing and whether SectionControl is being used, there is a choice of four different systems giving crop height clearance of up to 1m for late passes through maize, for example.

For the parallelograms, the RapidoClip blade changing system offers instantaneous blade swapping in the field without tools.

A wide choice of blades is available for the hoe depending on the application required.

The Venterra can be used in conjunction with the FTender front supply hopper for band fertiliser application and companion planting as well as with the FT-P autonomous front tank for band spraying and liquid fertiliser application – systems that offer considerable savings on input costs and increased environmental protection.

New trailed precision seeder

Working alongside Amazone mechanical weeding systems, Precea air seeders cover any width from 3m through to 6m mounted, and from 6m through to 12m trailed.

On the stand, the new Precea 6000-TCC gives increased output due to its larger hopper capacities meaning more drilling and less filling.

The 3,000-litre fertiliser hopper is mounted upfront to ease access and improve traction.

On the rear, there is a choice of either individual 70-litre seed hoppers – meaning different varieties can be sown in different rows – or the new CSS Central Seed Supply.

For the 6m model, the central seed hopper, with a massive capacity of 850 litres, is easily accessible meaning comfortable fill-ups and less downtime.

Seed is fed on demand to the PreTeC sowing coulters where it is placed and consolidated in the seed furrow.

The SmartControl automatic stripper finger adjustment ensures there are no doubles or singles, irrespective of seed size and consistency.

Of course, Amazone will be presenting its full range of seed drills, fertiliser spreaders, sprayers, cultivators and ploughs, including the all-new Teres 200 series reversible ploughs.

Come and discover what’s new, learn about available FETF funding, and see how Amazone’s equipment can boost your farm’s profitability – visit stand 834, and don’t miss Amazone in the Sprays & Sprayers ring.

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Formed in 2010 as a joint venture between Michael Needham and David Ashton, the business farms 850ha just north of Boston. 

Having given up growing oilseed rape on his 567ha acres of heavy silt soil at Mallows Farm, Sibsey due to the crop’s increasing agronomic and financial risks, Michael now produces 283ha of hard Group 4 winter wheat, 28ha of winter linseed, 40ha of spring barley and 40ha of spring beans.

He also grows 61ha of maize as feedstock for a local anaerobic digester plant, while a further 81ha are in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).

David Ashton has also stopped growing oilseed rape on his 291ha Gasks Farm, Wrangle, where cropping for the 2025 harvest comprises 103ha of first wheat and 83ha of second wheat, all Group 4s, together with 45ha of linseed which his son Phillip says is excellent for conditioning the soil and lowering slug pressures.

The farm also produces 49ha of spring beans and has 16ha of grass for its 32,000 free-range chickens.

Soils comprise mainly skirt fen and other higher organic matter types; these used to set like concrete when dry then have restricted capacity to retain water.

However, after several plough-free years their condition has improved significantly, helped by the fact that all straw and manure is retained on the farm.

A new approach

“Until 2010 we took a very conventional approach to crop establishment, either ploughing or using a Simba Solo and press initially.

These were followed by a Horsch Joker compact disc harrow to create 3–4in of tilth ahead of the drill, which improved seed to soil contact and provided a smooth surface finish to optimise the effectiveness of residual herbicides,” Michael outlines. 

“In 2010 we started with a 4m Vaderstad Rapid drill but soon decided that it did not have enough capacity to establish all our cereals on time in the autumn, so we moved to a 6m version.

“As black-grass became increasingly resistant to herbicides we had to move to more spring cropping, which comprises barley, beans and linseed, to help control the problem. 

“This allowed us to reduce our drill size back to 4m, but we added a subsoiler toolbar and still needed a 350–400hp tractor to achieve the output required.

“The subsoiler toolbar reduced our cultivations in front of the drill to just a pass or two with the Joker, but increasingly wet weather in the autumn did not suit this set up and so we looked at the alternatives.

“After speaking to a neighbour who is a long-term Claydon user, as well as agronomists and advisors, we felt that the Claydon Hybrid direct drill would provide a practical solution by eliminating many of the cultivations we had been doing, reducing establishment costs and improving timeliness.

“In 2021 we purchased a new 6m Claydon Hybrid drill equipped with 7in A shares, two additional hoppers, levelling boards and rear harrows from our local dealer, Pecks.

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“We used it behind our 315hp New Holland T7 to drill cereals, oilseed rape and cover crops that autumn, then in the spring to establish barley and beans.

“That tractor was replaced with a 340hp New Holland T7 340 which really suits the 6m drill as it has bags of power, is not too heavy and is very manoeuvrable.

“In four seasons the drill has covered 3,500ha, establishing a wide range of arable and cover crops, together with stewardship schemes.

“We have used it with the standard 7in A-share which Claydon recommend for most situations, as well as 3in spoons and knife coulters for beans. 

“The first two autumns were kind and we direct drilled everything, including wheat following maize and wheat after catch crops.

“The results were so good that we even used the Hybrid with knife coulters to establish spring beans directly.

“One year the soil was quite moist so the slots left by the coulters were a little wider than we would have liked, but one pass with our 7.5m Claydon straw harrow at a 30-degree angle to the direction of drilling did a good job of closing them up and levelling the land. We still use that approach.

“Because we were drilling wheat later, and with more summer covers and catch crops to establish, the autumn sowing window was becoming narrower, so we were stretched to get everything in the ground on time.

“The pressure on our 6m Hybrid in the autumn meant that we had to have a contractor drill our winter beans for us, which wasn’t ideal.

“After Storm Babet hit in October 2023 all the land remained very wet through to the spring, so we were unable to establish winter beans, and it was January before we drilled the last of the winter wheats on a frost.”

Second drill investment

“The knock-on effects of the severe weather made us realise that we needed more capacity to reliably get everything in the ground on time and avoid significant yield penalties,” Phillip adds.

“Our original idea was to supplement the 6m Claydon Hybrid with a second-hand 3m Claydon Hybrid, but because the Rural Payments Agency’s Farming Equipment and Technology Fund grants would cover 60% of the cost, in spring 2024 we ordered a new 3m Claydon Evolution, with front discs and 7in A-shares.

“It arrived in July and by December had been used behind our 215hp John Deere 6215R to drill 8ha of catch crop, 186ha of winter wheat and 93ha of cover crops at Wrangle.  

“We use the Hybrid and Evolution for everything. Their low operating costs keep our overall establishment costs low and after years of not ploughing the condition of soils across the two farms has improved greatly.

“Claydon drills are simple in terms of concept, their design is very practical, they are easy to calibrate, and there is a significant fuel saving.

“Maintenance costs are extremely low and the generally non-abrasive nature of the soils on both farms means that the Hybrid is still on its original leading tines after 3,500ha.

“Almost any drill will operate when soils are dry, but in our experience only the Claydons will work successfully in difficult conditions.

“They cope very well with surface trash and take out wheelings from the previous season’s activities, making them very adaptable.

“They also work well in wet conditions, which can tempt you to go drilling when you shouldn’t. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean to say that you should, so restraint is needed.

“Partly due to slug pressures, partly because of later drilling and partly because seed placement with a tine-type drill is not quite as accurate as one which uses a disc coulter arrangement, we tend to use slightly higher seed rates.

“A robust 400/m2 helps to offset later drilling and we generally follow with a heavy stack of pre-emergence chemistry.

“It’s difficult to compare our two drills directly due to their different tine configurations presently, but with the 3m Evolution drilling up to 19ha a day and the 6m Hybrid up to 32ha we are now able to get all crops in the ground on time.

“Both offer so many options that we are spoilt for choice and are still learning how to get the best from them. The only thing they don’t do is consolidate the soil after the seed is in the ground, so where possible we Cambridge roll after drilling if we feel it is the right thing to do.”

Everything direct drilled

The 2024 harvest at Gasks Farm, Wrangle began on 20th July when the final crop of oilseed rape was combined and finished with spring beans on 17th September at Sibsey.

With cereal straw fetching high prices all of it was baled by a contractor and sold, albeit with large swathes missing due to the flooding from Storm Babet back in October 2023. 

“After Storm Babet, we had a small opportunity to drill some more winter wheat on the January frost in 2024, but the results were variable.

“Our farms were incredibly wet and the subsequent rainfall until harvest meant these once ponded areas needed serious restructuring – more than any plant root or seed drill could provide,” Phillip outlines.

“Following the 2024 harvest at Wrangle we subsoiled everything except where the linseed had been sown back in the spring. At Sibsey Mike took a similar approach but also ploughed some land.

“The four inches of water that fell in September, at the beginning of the autumn drilling campaign, highlighted the unpredictable nature of the weather we are having to farm with and around.

“However, due to the soil restructuring which we had carried out the water drained through the soil profile, which allowed us to execute our autumn drilling programme unhindered by waterlogging.

“Having dropped oilseed rape this season there was no need to change back to the A-share in the autumn and the Hybrid was used with Claydon’s Twin Tine kit which we originally bought for drilling spring barley.

“It works very well and allowed us to go straight in behind the subsoiler, but we have also used it after a Horsch Joker and Kverneland DTX.”

Going forward, Michael and Phillip are keen to minimise the need for remedial work on their soils and have no plans to plough again. The Claydon drills are a key part of Hobhole Farming’s system and the tine/coulter options available make them the most versatile drills on the market.

With a few simple, quick modifications they can be used for conventional sowing, low-disturbance establishment, and zero-till seeding, with or without fertiliser placement between or in the seeded rows. 

A holistic approach to crop establishment, the Claydon Opti-Till System delivers consistently good, high-yielding crops at low cost for maximum profitability.

The majority of Claydon drills leave the factory with the company’s ground-breaking leading tines and standard 7in or 5in A-shares fitted to the seeding tines.

These do an excellent job of establishing any crop that can be air-sown in most soils or conditions and the area between the rows can be kept clean using the Claydon TerraBlade inter-row hoe. 

“As farmers we instinctively want to grow crops to feed the nation, but pure economics will drive what we do going forward and how we do it,” Phillip states. “Our main income is from wheat, so it’s all about growing the crop as cheaply as possible and using effective break crops.

“It’s essential to keep costs under tight control and the Claydon system provides obvious benefits in that respect.“

As our soils have improved through direct drilling, so have the results from using the Claydon system. Even though we could have managed to establish everything this autumn with our 6m Hybrid, we have used it alongside our 3m Evolution and certainly don’t regret having two drills.

The last few years have highlighted that you can never know what weather challenges you will face, so it gives us the peace of mind to know that we will always be on top of the work.”

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Increased capacity – Horsch drill range

The new Avatar 12.25 LC drill comes as standard with a 9,400-litre triple tank that is split 50:15:35. A Horsch MiniDrill with a 400-litre capacity can also be mounted to the Horsch drill. Available as a 12m model only, the Avatar LC offers a 3,000-litre increase over the 12m Avatar SD.

The seed wagon layout increases the drilling window with the large tyre widths reducing compaction even in wet soil conditions. The double support wheels at the wings ensure low tracks and optimum adaption to the soil.

With its one-row design of SingleDisc coulters and a row spacing of 25cm, the Avatar 12.25 LC is ideal for mechanical population control and for different sowing methods, such as direct seed, mulch seed and into standing catch crops.

Thanks to the well-proven folding design, the transport dimensions are very compact with an outside width of 3m for road transport.

Sprinter updates

Sprinter drills: The Sprinter SL and SC drills bring the latest features and innovations of the large-scale Sprinter NT drill in a more compact format suited to UK farming. The trailed 12m Sprinter 12.25 SC and mounted 6m Sprinter 6.25 SL drills feature 25cm row spacing and can be folded to the 3m transport width required for movement on UK roads.

The Sprinter 6.25 SL can be combined with the Horsch Partner FT to create a highly manoeuvrable mounted drill setup.

Sprinter coulters: Sprinter SL and SC drills are available with Horsch’s latest tine coulters. There are different seed coulter options from the Ultra ThinEdge seed coulter, that provides a 12mm wide seed band to ensure minimum of soil movement, the ThinEdge coulter with a 21mm wide seed band (ideal for sowing catch crops directly into the stubble), to the WideEdge tine seed coulter that has a 110mm wide seed band.

Sprinter SC trailed tine drill: A more compact version of the Sprinter NT, the 12m Sprinter 12.25 SC complements a 3m transport width with a 4m transport height to make it even more manoeuvrable. It is equipped with a 6,300-litre double hopper and will be available with a triple tank or additional MiniDrill options. The hopper design is based on that of the new Avatar 8.25 and can apply up to four components.

The tines of the Sprinter 12.25 SC are hydraulically pre-stressed, with a coulter pressure up to 180kg, and can be retracted for transport. They ensure a high clearance between frame and surface as well as between the seed coulters making them ideal for direct or mulch seeding.

The tines are individually depth-controlled with a press wheel and the three-bar tine section and 25cm tine spacing offers a straw-free and clod-free sowing horizon.

Sprinter SL mounted tine drill with Partner FT front tank: The 6m Sprinter 6.25 SL is ideal for working in wetter conditions and on light and medium soils. It is highly manoeuvrable, making it easy to operate in small fields.

The tines of the Sprinter 6.25 SL are also hydraulically pre-stressed and retractable and are individually depth controlled with press wheel. The three-bar tine section and 25cm tine spacing ensures a straw-free and clod-free sowing horizon.

The Sprinter SL can be combined with either the Horsch Partner 2000 FT or Partner 1600 FT front tank to provide the metered components.

New Avatar SD working widths

The Avatar 8.25 SD, 9.25 SD, 10.25 SD and 12.25 SD offer 8–12m working widths respectively and feature the popular 25cm row spacing. The 3–8m Avatar SD models are available with 16.7cm row spacing, with the 8m available in both, allowing the Avatar SD to meet a wider set of customer requirements regarding farm or tractor size.

The models feature a versatile triple tank system with a capacity of 6,400 litres. The triple tank offers
a 60:10:30 split in capacity while a double-tank option with a 60:40 split is also available.

Pronto 3-6 DC drills

The 3–6m models can now be specified with the MiniDrill as an additional third tank to extend the tank capacity by 400 litres. Additional extensions for the single hopper machines and MiniDrill versions allow operators to use another tank for underseed, microgranular compounds or slug pellets, for example, to increase efficiency and reduce passes.

MiniDrill versions are equipped with a separate fan and distributor tower and another placement horizon. A total of nine MiniDrill versions are available for flexibility and individualisation, with up to four components placed on up to three horizons.

Versa KR drill

This is the first mechanical drill made by Horsch. The SmartClip metering system is an electrically driven metering system on the countershaft and offers huge flexibility when working with different row spacings and tramlines.

Different row spacings can be chosen based on 12.5 and 15cm can be selected thanks to the individual connection of the metering devices, they can be easily adjusted individually and without any tools.

The 900-litre seed hopper capacity of the basic machine can be extended in two steps to a total capacity of 1,500 litres. The double disc coulter, DuoDisc, has specifically been designed for the Versa line and is equipped with the well-proven components of the TurboDisc seed coulters and ensures an exact and even placement of the seed.

Visit the website to find out more about Horsch.

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Fentech Agri started working on a new product at the end of last year, with the aim of reducing the size/weight of the drill rig specifically for suboptimal conditions.

This led to the design of the TS-APL – a hopper-less rear mounted frame that has been designed for use with the existing Fentech Agri FH1800.

The absence of a hopper increases the visibility of the machine in work, reduces the weight and keeps the weight constant which allows the 30mm arable tines to be spread over four bars which greatly improves trash flow especially in chopped straw or cover crops.

Depth control is achieved by the hydraulic adjustment of four pneumatic wheels rather than the traditional spring flex roller, which brings a further weight reduction. This means a smaller drill tractor can be used – especially useful for wetter seasons.

The mounted frame is available in 4.8 or 6m working widths and can be equipped with two separate distribution heads for intercropping, an applicator for a second or third product as well as a choice of chain covering harrow or spring tines.

Visit the Fentech Agri pneumatic drill range.

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The Weaving Mounted GD Disc Drill has emerged as a market leader in this space, allowing superior seed placement to achieve strong yields without compromising sustainability. 

The GD Coulter: A game-changer for seed placement 

At the heart of the Mounted GD Drill’s success is its unique GD coulter system. The twin-disc coulter, set at an angle, allows for consistent seed placement at the chosen depth while ensuring minimal soil disturbance.

This low-disturbance design is particularly beneficial in reducing weed germination, conserving moisture, and maintaining soil biology—key factors for any farm looking to transition towards conservation agriculture or improve the efficiency of their no-till system. 

By creating a precise seed slot, the GD coulter ensures excellent seed-to-soil contact, promoting rapid and even germination. This is critical when establishing crops in challenging conditions, from heavy clay soils to light sandy loams, making the disc drill a versatile choice across a range of farm types. 

In Warwickshire, farm manager Richard Ward introduced a GD into his system back in 2020. In his first year with the disc drill, he drilled one third of his arable ground with it, followed by two thirds the following year and concluding with the whole farm in 2022.  

Following a largely winter cropping system, Richard says the farm does notlend itself to spring planting. With varying ground from very heavy Warwickshire clay to medium loam and sand — sometimes all within the same field. 

“The GD has established crops very well. The angled coulter disc allows greater penetration of the soil. It’s like putting an axe in a tree at an angle, rather than square,” says Richard, referring to the effectiveness of the GD’s seed placement, following up with some advice; “If you are going to use a direct drill, it is absolutely vital you start two weeks earlier in the autumn and two weeks later in the spring.

Some people won’t like this as they believe it will encourage black grass, but black grass will only grow where the soil has been disturbed. If you don’t disturb the soil between the rows, it will not grow.” 

Improving soil health and reducing inputs 

Direct drilling with the Weaving GD Drill not only improves operational efficiency but also contributes significantly to soil health. The reduced soil disturbance helps retain soil organic matter, encourages microbial activity, and enhances water infiltration—all essential components of resilient farming systems. 

By maintaining ground cover and minimising surface disruption, the drill supports soil aggregation and reduces erosion, particularly important in areas prone to heavy rainfall or wind erosion. In turn, this leads to improved moisture retention, better root development, and healthier crops with reduced reliance on artificial inputs such as fertilisers and herbicides. 

A cost-effective solution for progressive farmers 

Investing in a direct drill is a significant decision, but the Weaving GD Drill provides a compelling return on investment. With its simple yet robust design, it offers minimal maintenance requirements while ensuring long-term durability. The ability to drill directly into stubbles, cover crops, and pasture without pre-cultivation also reduces fuel and labour costs, making it an economically attractive option for farms looking to streamline operations. 

Furthermore, as many farms transition towards more sustainable farming systems to meet government incentives and environmental targets, the benefits of direct drilling become even more pronounced. By adopting the GD Drill, farmers can future-proof their businesses against rising input costs and evolving regulatory requirements. 

As I write this, the RPA has released a brief update confirming their intentions to release another round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund in Spring 2025. We do not know yet what items may be eligible within this round, but if a new direct disc drill is on your radar, the Weaving team is happy to offer spring demonstrations through March onwards. Please also sign up to its mailing list for updates on the FETF-eligible items.  

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J.J. Metcalfe & Son says it’s committed to innovating its tine points, which are available in widths from 12–175mm. These versatile points fit seamlessly onto J.J. Metcalfe’s conversion systems and are engineered to minimise soil disturbance where necessary. Moving less soil means that very few weed seeds are disturbed, reducing the germination of bothersome varieties such as black-grass and brome.

Additionally, low disturbance drilling goes hand-in-hand with conservation agriculture, which helps fix and increase carbon or organic matter in the soil and supports worm populations.

Surface compaction reduction

The unique winged coulter system also lifts the soil, facilitating mineralisation and effectively reducing surface compaction. J.J. Metcalfe & Son claims to provide one of the lowest disturbance drill coulters on the market, moving only 12mm of soil in every row width. Plus, the easy swap feature allows growers to adapt quickly to varying conditions, maximising their sowing potential.

For further information about how low disturbance drilling could benefit your farming practices, please visit J.J. Metcalfe & Son.

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George Whistance explained that he opted for a 4m folding model from Kverneland, with a front tank because he likes the concept of improving balance, compared to putting everything on the rear linkage. 

The firm had been using a 3m combination with a five-furrow plough, but sought more output from a 4m outfit. This enabled the business to add a second five-furrow plough for a higher-output weather-proof system. 

Mr Whistance added: “Drilling output is up by around 10 acres/day, and the scope of on-the-move adjustment for the power harrow is really useful.” 

Useful technology 

Being equipped with ISOBUS-technology, the Kverneland Rotago F power harrow can be tweaked on the move for working depth and clod board height to improve efficiency in response to changes in soil type. 

“In reality, few people would bother to stop and change their depth settings, but this has been really useful throughout constantly changing conditions,” Mr Whistance explained. 

He added: “In wetter soils, I can raise the clod board from the cab to let soil flow through. And it’s the same when you hit patches of lighter soil – tweak the power harrow working depth without affecting the drill. This has the potential to bring more output to combi drilling, along with saving fuel. 

“And it’s really useful when levelling a headland that’s been ploughed out, filling in that last furrow.” 

Mr Whistance added that drill calibration and setup have been easy. 

“Electric seed metering is superb. We’ve sown cover crops, turnips, winter wheat, winter barley, grass seed and beans. It’s been very accurate,” he concluded.

Read more farming stories reported in the Kverneland Headland News.  

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When purchasing a drill, growers are looking for maximum flexibility to cope with multiple crop types and the numerous methods of crop establishment. Amazone says it has developed a range of drills that can fulfil the challenges currently facing arable farmers in Britain.

TineTec coulter

Since the late 1970s, Amazone has utilised the TineTeC coulter across a wide variety of models, now including the Cayena tine drill, the Condor direct tine drill and the Primera DMC multi-purpose tine drill.

The slim design of the chisel opener gives excellent penetration for perfect depth control, even at shallow sowing depths, yet with minimal soil disturbance to reduce the risk of drying out the seedbed or generating a secondary germination of weed seeds and volunteers in the area around the seed row.

The chisel action of the tine forms a clean seed slot into which the seed is placed without any seed/straw contact, thus increasing germination rates and avoiding any detrimental effects caused by the breakdown of last year’s crop residues. Long spaces between coulter banks mean that the row spacing can be kept relatively narrow, down to 16.6cm, and yet any surface organic matter will pass through the drill.

Additionally, the Cayena has a row of vertical front cutting discs that line up exactly with the TineTec coulters. This improves the passage of crop residues by slicing and opening a path for the coulter to go through unimpeded. A further advantage of using a chisel opener is it’s an easy pull, meaning less horsepower upfront, therefore lower fuel consumption.

Also, the downward action of the tine removes the need for substantial weight in the drill, so a tine drill can be lighter, meaning again less pulling force, less fuel and thus can be a wider machine when using the same horsepower as a disc drill.

MultiBin system

With these models of drills having the ability to establish a cover crop straight into stubble – or into a stale seedbed, sow a cash crop following last year’s cash crop or to sow a cash crop into a cover crop, the Amazone tine drills are equipped with the MultiBin system with a divided hopper along with additional seeder boxes.

Using the divided main tank, available with either two or three chambers, the drill can be used to sow a multitude of seed varieties as well as undersowing crops, companion crop planting, or mix of seed and fertiliser to target phosphate in the seeding zone.

Additionally, the MultiBin system can be used for a mix of seed and slug pellets, or seed and a micro-granular herbicide. Each hopper within the MultiBin system is controlled via Isobus individually and can run off three or four variable rate application maps for site-specific, part area application where seed populations are matched with soil type and topography to maintain an even crop density.

TwinTerminal

Farms tending towards a greater variety of crop rotation has resulted in more regular changing of the type of seed or seed mixes in the tank, meaning seed calibration has become a much more regular task.

TwinTerminal involves a secondary terminal mounted on the drill near the metering units, allowing for easy calibration and pre-metering for all seed hoppers and metering units without having to jump in and out of the cab. Simply hold the calibration button and then enter the weight of the metered seed.

Consolidation after sowing is often a fine line between good soil to seed contact without causing overly fine soil surface finish. We’re all far too aware of the issues – a capped soil structure can inhibit soil drainage as well as impacting on crop establishment. Across the entire Amazone drill range, the company says all its packers and rollers implement strip-wise reconsolidation, where it applies reconsolidation only in line with the seed row and leaves the area between seed rows loose.

Matrix profile tyre

This system vastly increases drainage and minimises weed seed germination. Additionally in very dry conditions the reconsolidation strips work in a capillary action to effectively pump water towards the strips. With the Cayena drill this is achieved by Amazone’s Matrix profile tyre with ribs spaced in such a way to cover rows at 16.6cm spacing. With the Condor, consolidation is achieved by the depth and consolidation roller attached to each coulter individually.

A drill capable of direct drilling, sowing into a min-till seedbed or even working as a conventional seeder on a clean seedbed, results in huge amounts of flexibility from just a single Amazone drill. Setting up the drill is simple and straight-forward and the wearing costs are very low due to the lack of moving parts, making the drills extremely cost-effective and user-friendly, Amazone concludes. Working widths are from 6–15m depending on the model.

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At the age of 26, Tom Matthews already runs his own family farm, contracting business and share farming agreement in Marston Magna, Somerset.

His family enterprise, Little Marston Farm, comprises 105ha which, after taking back in-hand, allows Tom to farm independently. Two thirds of the hectarage are down to wheat, with the remainder used for beans or oilseed rape as break crops.

Little Marston has been farmed in a no-till system for a number of years, and Tom wanted to continue the efforts of the previous contractor to maintain the no-till system.  

As part of a share farming agreement on the 300ha holding with neighbours, Hugh and Tim Archer, the trio plant winter milling wheat, spring malting barley, beans and oilseed rape. Not stopping there, Tom has, in more recent times, also developed his own contracting business, drilling 440ha annually operating as Marston Agriculture. 

Machinery investments

Having initially got underway with a hired tine drill, Tom looked to add a disc drill to his toolbox, opting for Weaving Machinery’s trailed GD drill. 

With soil varying from heavy clay to Cotswold Brash through to sand, Tom wanted to invest in a drill which suited both farms. He explains he struggled with the tine drill, particularly in controlling the depth and disturbing too much soil. 

He explains: “I still have access to a tine drill which I use when conditions dictate. I bought the GD because I wanted a disc drill to achieve lower disturbance and better ground following via the individual coulter movement.” 

Tom continues: “When I was looking at drills on the market, price was a big driver and I found Weaving’s GD to be substantially better value. I dealt with sales director Simon Weaving himself, which is something I also really appreciated. It’s assuring that you can speak to Weaving directly, rather than going through a long chain of people. 

“If I need parts, and if I really need to, I can drive to the factory and pick something up in a manageable time. If something is going to go wrong, it’s usually at about 5pm on a Friday. If I give Mike Lane from Weaving a call and he can’t solve the problem over the phone, he will be in the yard at 7:30am the next morning with a van-full of parts and will get me going again very quickly.

“I can’t thank him enough for his excellent service and always picking up the phone. A few neighbours also have Weaving drills and our Agrii agronomist, Todd Jex, encourages their use so there are plenty of people on hand for advice, tips and tricks.”

Healthy soil and net margins

Striving for a full no-till system, Tom says he acknowledges the soil health benefits this brings but is more focused on the improvements to his net margin it can provide.  

Tom bought the drill on a Farming Equipment Technology Grant (FETF) grant last year, receiving a £25,000 grant towards the cost.

On making the purchase, Tom chose to have a split tank, containing three hoppers which Tom describes as “opening up a whole range of new options.” It is a huge time saver as you can carry a number of different crops so there is no need to stop, clean the tank out and calibrate when you are doing multiple crops for a customer.

Tom says: “You can run multiple variable rate prescriptions through the split tank and can simultaneously fertilise, drill and place slug pellets if necessary.”

He continues: “With a GD, the aim is to avoid cultivating as much as possible. The cost of the drill is countered by the cheaper establishment costs if the crop comes well. No-till doesn’t seem to disturb the weed bank, which should help to cut down on chemical spend. 

“I carry out 400ha of stubble-to-stubble drilling and spraying myself. Working in this way with the GD, it allows me to cover the ground in a manageable time.

No-till also ties in with Tom’s efforts to tackle black-grass. Through no-till and a diverse rotation, he has been able to make improvements in this respect on Hugh and Tim’s farm.  

Tom comments: “Previously, the farm heavily depended on spring barley. By increasing the area of winter cropping and therefore varying the sprays used, there has been more of an impact on black-grass control.” 

In a wet year on the light ground, the crops came well with the GD, says Tom, explaining the winter wheat drilled on light ground was particularly good.  

Impressive products and service

So impressed with the products and the service from Weaving, Tom has since purchased a Shortdisc and Stubble Rake to add to his collection.  

The Shortdisc was purchased on Weaving’s three-year 0% finance deal and was purchased to work predominantly on the home farm which frequently floods and has a lot of rotten tramlines. He says the ground needed levelling, subsoiling and short discing. Again opting for the 6m, Tom says once you get to a size where the implement folds, they don’t get that much more expensive. 

The Stubble Rake is kept for a fully no-till situation and is to run over ground to spread trash to control slugs and encourage a weed chit. It has been especially useful to level off ridges left by the subsoiler, leaving the field ready to drill, he says.

Tom concludes: “I have been very happy with my experience in dealing with Weaving and their backup support. I would recommend anyone to at least have a chat and get a quote. They’re in the game for the long run.”

Visit the Weaving Machinery website for more information.

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