| CropTec
Experts on hand to talk Sky Drills at Croptec
Experts from OPICO will be on hand at the Croptec event to give advice on the innovative Sky drill range, particularly
helpful for growers considering how to move forward with no-till, min-till, cover cropping or companion crops.
he unique design
of the drills offers
great versatility,
providing high
capacity drilling
solutions across a
range of soil conditions and
cultivation systems, allowing a
wide window of crop
establishment.
The MaxiDrill is designed to
provide a high speed minimum
tillage drilling solution with the
flexibility to work in a conventional
plough-based cultivation system,
and also as a no-till drill in light
soils. Moreover its clever design
allows drilling to continue even
when conditions turn sticky.
The EasyDrill is specifically
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designed as a direct drill but works
equally well in minimum tillage
conditions, on consolidated
ploughed soil and when drilling
into cover crops. This drill can be
fitted with up to three separate
hoppers to allow conventional
drilling to take place alongside
fertiliser application, cover crop
drilling or slug pellet application.
An electric driven metering
system allows easy calibration,
accurate setting and variable rate
as standard. The primary seed is
drilled using the disc coulter and
the secondary product (often
fertiliser) is applied by dedicated
coulters in front of the press
wheels. If an additional ‘pro
hopper’ is fitted for a third
microgranular product or small
seed size, this is metered into
either the seed or fertiliser
distribution systems and drilled
with one product or the other. The
use of two separate air circuits to
supply the seed and the fertiliser
allows the products to be drilled at
two different depths.
The clever row management
system then allows manual
selection of rows so that every
other, or any number of rows, can
be shut off to provide wider row
spacing with one seed; or rows to
be planted with alternating seed
types.
With minimal soil disturbance,
these features mean the drills can
be used in the fight against grass
weeds, whilst providing accurate
and consistent seed and fertiliser
placement, targeting nutrition
correctly and maximising crop
efficiency.
Commenting James Woolway,
OPICO Managing Director said,
‘With the Sky brand we have over
25 years of experience and farm
trials in cover cropping and
companion crops. Visitors to
Croptec can join us on the OPICO
stand where we can provide
support and advice for growers
considering a move to no-till or
min-till, whilst looking at what
machinery they will require to
manage the change effectively.’
Schulte Industries brings Fixed Knife Technology
to the UK
Using Schulte Fixed Knife Technology, Stubble & Crop residue is driven into stationary knives, mounted in strategic
positions under the deck of the cutter by free swinging blades set moving at speeds of up to 4,800 meters per minute.
Increasing the chopping & mulching action of a rotary cutter.
ounted baffle
distribution plates
direct the mulched
materials out of
the cutter with an
even spread.
The stationary fixed knives are
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protected by shear bolts which
allow them to pivot when required.
The free swinging blades are each
protected individually by slip
clutches.
Chopped stubbles aid direct
drilling and strip tillage seeding,
thanks to improved material flow
through the drill and less
opportunities for seed ‘hair
pinning’, along with a shorter
length of stubble.
Chopped & Mulched stubbles
see quicker residue
decomposition and weathering.
Fixed Knives can quickly be
removed to allow the rotary cutter
to be used on grassland and for
pasture management.
October 2016 | Farming Monthly | 19