© MAG/Oliver Mark

Northern Irish maker Erth Engineering has added a small secondary hopper option to its low-disturbance Agriseeder in an effort to make it more versatile.

The company’s distributor, Hexham-based Dales Agri Sales, has seen demand surge thanks to the availability of grants for 3m direct drills.

And, says Dales, the particular appeal of the Agriseeder is that it can rejuvenate tired swards without incurring the increasing cost of heavy cultivations.

Though it was primarily designed for reseeding grassland, the addition of an Accord metering system with a hydraulic fan has expanded its potential uses into clover, beans and cereals.

The working elements are led by a hydraulically adjustable front harrow that clears any thatch from the top of an old grass ley.

See also: Home-built overseeder improves grass in hard-to-reach fields

Following this are two rows of cutting discs that are set on an angle to form a shallow slot and a small amount of tilth.

These are carried on a trio of metre-wide galvanised bars, with downward pressure – and thus an element of contour following – provided by hydraulic rams.

Most commonly, the Agriseeder is specced with 24 rows spaced at 125mm, which is cheaper and more versatile than the 93mm, 32-row option.

A flat roller is standard at the back, though sprung and rubber alternatives are available, too. Buyers can also spec a manually adjusted following harrow.

The 1,000-litre steel hopper can be paired with a new 200-litre stainless-steel vessel for starter fertiliser, slug pellets or other crops.

This can be fed down the standard delivery tubes with the seed, or diverted to rear splash plates. Those only planning to sow grass can downsize to a 400-litre plastic hopper.

Prices start at £21,500.