The complexity of different cropping practices – such as undersowing, companion cropping, cover crops, and so on – is catered for by the latest version of Lemken’s Solitair MR piggy-back seed drill.

Available in 3m and 4m widths to mount on a Zircon MR power harrow, the newcomer has two electrically driven metering units as standard, feeding either two or four distribution heads mounted low over the coulters.

Together with the optional 2,000-litre partitioned hopper, the 200-litre MultiHub broadcasting unit and the ability to set different sowing depths across alternate rows, the Solitair MR caters for numerous combinations of seed and fertiliser, microgranule and slug pellet applications.

See also: 12 power-harrow combi drill options with 3m working width 

© Lemken

In base form, the drill comes with a 1,500-litre hopper and OptiDisc coulters on parallelogram arms at 125mm or 150mm row spacing.

Mechanical coulter operation provides up to 45kg pressure, but for heavier soils there is a hydraulic version capable of imparting up to 70kg to help keep the maintenance-free discs at the required depth.

Metering system

Providing two metering units as standard means that even the base configuration can deliver half-width sowing under manual or auto GPS section control via isobus to minimise duplicate sowing at angled headlands.

The 200-litre MultiHub hopper and distribution system introduced this year comprises a plastic hopper with a novel combination of metering motor and diverter valves, enabling it to be set up to match the host machine’s sections.

It is fully integrated with isobus controls, being displayed as an additional seeding line on the in-cab display, and can feed into existing seed tubes or a broadcasting toolbar positioned in front of, or behind, the host harrow.

Lemken recommends the recently upgraded Zircon MR power harrow for this role, now rated at up to 240hp and with a new mounting system that ensures the working depth of the rotary harrow and the sowing depth of the packer-mounted seed drill are not influenced by each other.

Hydraulic adjustment of the levelling bar and working depth makes life easier for the operator.

Prices start at £57,508 for a 3m combination.