Entries for our annual Inventions Competition have started to roll in.

Once again, the ingenious, the clever and the handy are on show and we never fail to be surprised by what our readers think up in the workshop.

If you’re in need of some inspiration, you’ve come to the right place – we’ll be sharing some of the entries before we begin judging.

This beauty is a cover crop sowing/broadcasting machine built by 24-year-old Malcolm Pattullo and his dad in Scotland.

© Malcolm Pattullo

Malcolm explains the ins and outs: “The machine is comprised of old sprayer booms, which we extended from 24m to 27m, and the farm’s front fertiliser hopper, which is used for sowing fertiliser with spring barley and also fertiliser while planting potatoes. And now it’s also used for sowing cover crop.

© Malcolm Pattullo

“The hopper is connected via a second three-point linkage, so it can still be quickly removed and used as a fertiliser hopper again when needed.

“The fan on the fertiliser hopper blows seed out to four distribution heads, which then go to splash plates mounted along the boom – the machine can spread 27m wide, which means we drive down our tramlines. 

© Malcolm Pattullo

“The metering unit on the hopper is driven via a chain and a wheel that presses against the back wheel of the tractor, which can be hydraulically operated from the cab

“The booms fold down the side of the cab and rest on a custom-made bracket on the back of the weight block. This keeps it stable on the road. Also on the front are brackets for our mounted Berthoud sprayer that folds up slightly higher.”