Farmers on the look-out for a simple direct drill have a new option in the Viper DT21, a 2.5m tractor-mounted disc seeder from Hampshire-based AerWorx, whose core product is a range of slitting blade aerators.

Equipped with 21 double-disc openers at 125mm spacing, the newcomer is an in-house design and build and is intended to complement the company’s focus on soil improvement using relatively simple equipment.

See also: Ultimate Guide to buying a direct disc drill 2025

The AerWorx aerators, when operated at 10-12kph while the ground is dry enough, are designed to shatter compacted upper soil with one or two passes and get oxygen into the root zone.

A selection of drum sizes and weights in mounted and trailed formats are available to suit different soil types, and there are options for applying liquid nutrients and stimulants, and for overseeding.

Jason Lock of AerWorx says the drill resulted from enquiries from the small livestock and mixed enterprise farms that make up most of the company’s customers.

Low disturbance

AerWord Viper DT21 © AerWord

The Viper DT21 is designed to establish crops with minimal soil disturbance and power requirement, using a double-disc opener to create a slot for the seed.

It has a 1,000-litre partitioned full-width box for seed or seed and fertiliser, with an end-mounted gearbox and adjustable rollers metering a range of seed sizes, from grass, clover and herbal ley mixtures to wheat, barley, sunflowers, peas and so on.

The double-disc openers – which can be replaced with a single-disc design if preferred – are carried on a spring-loaded parallel linkage to maintain a consistent angle as they rise and fall over surface irregularities.

Between 30kg and 90kg of downward pressure can be applied through the hydraulic depth control system (simpler manual depth adjustment is also available), and each opener is followed by a press wheel.

A choice of finishing harrows is available to complete the job.

Prices range from £22,000 to £26,000 depending upon final specification, for a machine that tips the scales at 1.4-1.7t and is recommended to work on a tractor of at least 90hp.