Drill works fast in trashy beds
Drill works fast in trashy beds
LATEST drill to emerge from the Horsch camp is the 3m (9.8ft) wide DS/D3 pneumatic disc model.
Designed for a minimal cultivation approach to trashy conditions, the German maker claims the drill will accurately place seed at a chosen sowing depth at speeds of up to 9mph.
Based on the larger 6m (20ft) Horsch DS/D6 model, the machine features two rows of rotary spades suspended beneath the drawbar to prepare the seed-bed ahead of the coulters. Working depth of the cultivator is hydraulically adjustable.
Close behind the cultivator is a full-width tyre packer roller which firms the ground ahead of a double disc coulter planting mechanism. Horsch says the drill is suitable for most seed types.
For lighter soil types, drag tine levelling boards or spring tines can be used in place of the rotary spades. Equipped with a 2200-litre capacity seed hopper, the £19,500 Horsch DS/D3 is said to require tractors of 110-140hp to operate. *