Headland News issue 33

Issue 33

Headland news

WHEN FARMING MEANS BUSINESS

Welcome to Issue 33 2020 will undoubtedly be a year when farmers and their operations will be thoroughly tested. After one of the wettest Autumn’s on record, many have been pushed beyond the limit and are seeking respite this coming Spring.

We have at least reached a political outcome following the general election that will, hopefully, bring some clarity and certainty, for what the future may hold for the economy. And not just generally, but for farming in particular.

This issue of Headland News looks at equipment that provides farmers with both the capacity and the systems to carry out operations, as soon as conditions allow.

A standard two-year warranty on all Kverneland machines – and threeyears on power harrow drill combinations - subject to annual servicing requirements, together with highly trained and qualified dealer staff, gives customers the confidence to invest in Kverneland machinery as they continue to face up to farming’s many challenges in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Joe Bell

Managing Director

2020

Show Dates Grassland & Muck Ragley Estate, Warwickshire May 20 & 21 Royal Highland Show Ingliston, Edinburgh June 18-21 Royal Welsh Show Llanelwedd, Builth Wells July 20-23 Tilage-Live Location - TBC Sept 9

Dealer accreditation reinforces iM Farming technology With recent advances in precision farming technology, it has become more important than ever to increase training and investment in dealer sales and service personnel.

Which is why we’ve invested heavily in a Kverneland Dealer Accreditation programme, to ensure all participating dealers can provide the level of service and support that customers expect from their Kverneland precision farming

More new dealers

products. Simultaneously, dealers are recognising the need for continuous professional development for their employees.

Those dealers signing up to the programme are the ones who will be fully equipped, trained and competent to help you get the most out of your Kverneland iM Farming products.

Accredited dealers will also become the dealer of choice for sales, service and support for

all iM Farming products, which include any Kverneland equipment that uses electronics, software, satellite technology, online tools and big data, to enable precision implement control.

This also includes universal terminals, licence keys, GEO capability and guidance, ensuring that customers get the highest level of knowledge and expertise, to find the correct solutions. So, is your Kverneland dealer accredited?

Optima RS

Henderson Grass Machinery is the latest business to join the Kverneland dealer network.

Based at Yarrow Mill, Selkirk, the family-run firm brings over 100 years of knowledge and expertise in supplying products and services to customers in the area.

In addition, RC Dalgleish of Lockerbie has been appointed as a Kverneland dealer, operating in Dumfries and Galloway.

In Buckinghamshire, George Browns’ Chesham depot has now been added to the Kverneland network, while in Staffordshire, JA Bloor Agricultural Services near Uttoxeter has also joined the expanding Kverneland dealer network.

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Additional choice in the Optima precision seeder range now comes in the guise of the new RS model.

As an end-tow machine with a heavy duty 180 x 180mm frame, the Optima RS offers total flexibility in row spacing across its rigid frame.

Machine configurations see row spacing for the smallest 6.1m unit adjustable from 45 to 80cm, using eight to 12 HD-II sowing units.

The widest 9.3m unit can be equipped with 12 to 18 sowing units, to achieve row spacings from 45 to 80cm.

Power harrow drills get three-year warranty

Following the successful roll-out of a three-year warranty on Kverneland power harrows, that same guarantee now extends to Kverneland power harrow drill combinations. And choices have further increased with the arrival of the e-drill Maxi Plus.

Designed as a grain and fertiliser drill and also suited to companion cropping, it features a

TS to the rescue

My other drill is… a Kverneland Tine Seeder

2019’s unprecedented rainfall levels prompted many growers to switch to the TS drill, leaving costlier, heavier options parked up until Spring.

2,000-litre hopper, which can be divided as 60:40, 70:30 or 100:0.

Working widths are 3m, 3.5m and 4m.

All Kverneland power harrows can be combined with Kverneland combi seed drills, and with the advantage of using a Euro Connection, the coulter bar can be easily uncoupled allowing the power harrow to be used

solo. Track markers stay attached to the power harrow.

The three-year parts and labour warranty is available to those customers who register their machine online through http:// my.kverneland.com and also have their machine serviced annually by a Kverneland dealer. Terms and conditions apply, and wear parts are excluded from this offer.

Dorset contractor Bernard Cox pulled a 6m TS from the barn to follow a pair of five-furrow ploughs and a 6m power harrow, to establish winter cereals for customers, when little else would travel in late autumn conditions.

Glos-based Boddington Estates added a 4m TS drill to its line-up, to extend the planting season on heavy, wet clay. Based on the TS’s ability, a wider, 6m version is on the cards for next season.

It’s not about the power, but the ability to float. For Notts grower Bert Hollingsworth based at South Farm, Letwell, the Quadtrack STX620’s ultra-low ground pressure made it a suitable mule to sow winter wheat after sugar beet, before the arrival of yet more rain.

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Ploughs set for the future cross-shaft and a larger diameter depth/transport wheel.

Across the range, the new plough models can be specified with manual or hydraulically adjustable vari-width creating furrow widths from 3055cm, with auto-correction automatically applied to the front furrow and line of draft.

As part of its ongoing 140-year celebrations, Kverneland has revealed four new plough ranges.

models. The new versions also benefit from the i-Plough-derived folding headstock, allowing ploughs to be towed like a trailer, during transport.

For the mounted plough market, buyers can choose from 2300S, 3300S and 3400S, while the larger 6500S caters for those seeking a high-capacity semimounted model.

The three-to-five furrow 2300S is a newer version of the EG plough, which carried the 200 headstock, while four-to-six furrow 3300S is a newer version of the 300 series within the EG range. As headstock numbers closely refer to tractor power, these newer ploughs can be used with more powerful tractors – typically up to 330hp for the 3300S.

All models currently sit alongside existing EG, EO and PB ploughs, and benefit from features introduced on the i-Plough.

These include the aero profile leg, central adjustment for both skimmers, and a revised leaf-spring design for auto-reset

The 3400S comes in five, six and seven-furrow builds, and is both on-land and in-furrow compatible. Further up the range, the 6500S rubs shoulders with the PB, and is available from five-to-eight furrows. This model gets a Cat III/IV compatible

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Point to point clearances can be 85cm or 100cm, while underbeam clearance has been raised from 70cm up to 80cm.

A range of packer arms and integrated Packomat presses can also be specified.

No.38 body For those who like to plough deeper, the new No.38 body delivers that capability.

While the popular No.28 was at its limit working around 30cm deep, the No.38 affords a much greater working depth. With a taller mouldboard and shin piece, the No.38 enables tractor tyres up to 710mm to run comfortably in the furrow, at ploughing depths of around 35cm. The new 38 body also delivers the same ploughing performance as the 28, when ploughing shallow.

Intelligent implements ISOBUS control is now available on the Kverneland Turbo tined cultivator, to introduce intelligent cultivation solutions on 6.5m and 8m models. Called the Turbo T i-Tiller, it sees depth and levelling adjustment carried out on the universal terminal, over a working range from 3-20cm.

This clever solution provides the ability to link soil data to the cultivator controls, to automatically alter the working depth to suit. Such a smart solution avoids over-working the soil when not required, which

leads to reduced wear and tear, plus lower fuel consumption.

On-the-move Dynamic Traction Control can apply up to 1.8 tonnes onto the tractor’s rear wheels, through the cultivator’s front depth wheels, to improve grip.

Kverneland Turbo cultivators can now be equipped with a new tine, called the Triflex 400. Developed to offer greater strength and rigidity than the Reflex 200 version, the Triflex can withstand 400kg of pressure, resulting in less vibration. Held in place by the proven Kverneland auto-reset leaf-spring system, the Triflex tine can also be equipped with Knock-on points, in 50mm or 150mm working widths.

Enduro advances on mixing and consolidation Cultivator choices now include the Enduro and Enduro Pro stubble cultivators. Available in working widths from 3-5m in both fixed and hydraulic folding, the two types differ in rear packer control.

Where the Enduro Pro is hydraulically adjustable, and includes a parallelogram linkage to maintain machine attitude when the depth is adjusted, the Enduro is manually adjusted.

And where the Enduro can operate from 5-30cm deep, the Enduro Pro can run deeper, to a maximum working depth of 35cm.

Intended to replace the popular CLC, both Enduro versions offer

generous underbeam clearance of 87cm combined with a three-row tine configuration, to handle high volumes of trash and organic matter.

The Triflex tine features two working zones. The lower part of the tine has a shallow angle of 33-degrees to lift and crack soil, like a subsoiler. Higher up the tine, this angle increases to 73-degrees to promote mixing. A wide choice of bolt-on and Knockon points, offers greater versatility for working depths and the level of soil movement required.

Triflex’s hollow design also combines strength and durability with the ability to flex. The latter can be sideways by up to 7cm, to increase the effectiveness of the tine’s performance. And with auto-reset, tines are held in place with 700kg of pressure.

At the rear, a variety of levelling tines and levelling disc systems can be chosen, along with a wide range of packer roller options.

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Semi-mounted RN100 increases output “The RN is very easy to set-up and use, and it produces a great finish ” Jamie Ranger | Operator Looking for more output from ploughing, Wroxham Home Farms near Norwich, has recently geared-up with an eight-furrow RN100 equipped with No.28 bodies and knock-on points from local dealer TNS at Attleborough.

“We’ve always faced a considerable workload when it comes to ploughing,” explains farm manager Andrew Murdo.

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“With sandy soils, ploughing is one of the best ways we can aerate and restore our soils, at different stages of the rotation.”

That rotation includes 2,800 acres of combinable crops on the 5,500-acre estate, plus potatoes, sugar beet and maize. Around 2,500 acres pass beneath the plough each season.

“Our previous fully-mounted six furrow and press was borderlineheavy on a three-point linkage, and it lacked offset,” he says. “I wanted more output, and also to get the tractor out of the furrow.”

Designed for use on a wide variety of tractors, and with enough offset for on-land

working with tractors up to 3.4m in width, the RN fills a gap in the range between the fullymounted EO/LO seven-furrow and the flagship semi-mounted PW/RW which spans 7-12 furrows.

Andrew Murdo says the local dealer’s ability to arrive and setup the plough in just two passes, was testament to the simplicity of the RN, and was a deal-maker.

“All it needs is three doubleacting spool valves to operate,” he says. “Couple up, adjust the offset and front furrow, and away you go. I don’t want electronics on a plough - it has a simple job to do, and therefore any plough we buy needs to be easy to setup and use. The Kverneland RN is

that plough. It’s very impressive.”

Operator Jamie Ranger agrees.

“Output has risen from 4550 acres in a long day, to a comfortable 50-55 acres with my JD7310R,” explains Jamie. “And when the going gets tough, like 2019’s very wet autumn, we can drop off the back furrow and still get along easily with sevenfurrows.”

“We set the furrow widths to suit the furrow press, and most of the time, it’s 20in,” he explains.

“If we’d had a wider press, we would probably have gone for nine furrows. And we plough at depths of 14-18in for potatoes, and 12in for cereals.”

Cultivating a weed kill strategy Running a 3,000-acre organic farm, manager Neil Wilson and foreman Mark Ward find themselves thinking laterally when it comes to weed control.

“You’re always going to have some weeds, but it becomes more important than ever to keep them under control,” says Neil. “And for us, that means timing and fine-tuning our cultivations regime to ensure strong, healthy crops that can deliver on yields.”

He says that the organic approach doesn’t introduce stress and disease in the same way that conventionally grown crops are when pushed, which puts the focus onto weed management. This approach sees Kirton, Boston-based Woodlands Organic Farm practice intensive cultivations – but not soley for the preparation of seedbeds.

“Multiple strikes are essential, and it’s taken on a new meaning since we’ve added a Kverneland Turbo cultivator to the regime,” he says. “Stale seedbeds are our friend, and running a mix of cultivation depths lets us wipe out our three largest weed threats – charlock, docks and thistles.”

Supplied by Irelands Farm Machinery, the 5m mounted Turbo has given the farm flexibility.

After making a deep pass to lift and aerate soils with a winged, stubble cultivator, we watch closely for growth,” he says.

“Unlike some machines, the Turbo doesn’t bury weeds - it leaves them on the surface to wither and die. And multiple passes also breaks down the lifecycle of slugs.”

our grade one soils back towards being a seedbed with the Turbo,” explains Mark. “This lets us achieve a fine, firm and level seedbed, and with four to five passes in the autumn, we can really clean-up our seedbeds.”

“Multiple weed strikes are essential, and the Turbo cultivator is just the job” Neil Wilson | Farm Manager

“A level surface is essential for our robot-guided mechanical weeders that need to follow between the 10in rows once crops are established,” adds Neil.

“While the environment needs weeds, we do have to stay in control of them. And the Turbo is proving itself to be one of the best cultivators for the job.”

Used on a either a New Holland T7.315 or Challenger MT765, outputs can be up to 120 acres/ day. But this is not a one-trick pony. With more power up front, the farm has found it offers scope for heavy cultivations too, at 7-8in deep.

“We’ve found that we can work

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The Future of Farming

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Premium ration quality And it’s all replicated on my smart phone.”

Supplied by Cheshire Farm Machinery, Mr Butler adds that the 20-cube trailed machine is handled easily by a four-cylinder JD 6130R tractor, which he says is now using much less fuel to prepare rations, than his previous diet feeder.

“Given the chance, I wouldn’t use anything else for feeding” Ade Butler | Operator When it comes to feed intake, Ade Butler’s experience tells him that a light fluffy ration is one that dairy cows will scoff with ease.

And the 210-cow herd, plus 150 followers he feeds at the 400-acre Joseph Heler Farms in Audlem, Cheshire, is proof of that.

“Since we switched to a Siloking feeder in early 2019, we’ve all-but eliminated waste in the troughs,” he says. “Mixing times are reduced, ration presentation is vastly improved and we’re now

feeding much more efficiently.”

“I’ve used a Siloking feeder on a previous farm, and now I wouldn’t use anything else.”

Mr Butler prepares around 14 tonnes/day comprising three different rations according to cow groups. Without in-parlour feeding, the farm needs to make the most of its rations when it comes to mixing and presentation.

screen and the operator’s smart phone.

“It’s absolutely brilliant,” he says.

“I don’t need a weigh scale on the feeder, but carry the main control box in the telehander.

“With the combination of sliding front cross-conveyor and a rear door, we’ve got all bases covered,” he adds.

After creating rations on the farm office computer, feed data is shared to the farm’s Siloking Premium 2218 feeder using a cloud-based system with a wifi link. This makes data easily accessible on the feeder’s control

860-series bale shredders

With a greater emphasis on straw shredding, the Kverneland shredder/bedder range is being expanded with the introduction of the trailed 863 model. It features improved crop flow and a greater range of adjustment from the cab, lending itself to better processing of straw.

The 863 joins a range of bale shredder/bedders that includes mounted and trailed models, with a variety of body sizes from two to six cubic metres capacity.

This new model uses a smaller diameter beater, creating a more open design to handle larger volumes of straw. And combined with hydraulic comb adjustment, affords greater regulation of material flow through the machine.

“It’s now possible to hold the bale off the rotor, to slow

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“With the old feeder, I had to refuel before the end of the week, but now the tractor will easily run for a week without needing to top-up the tank,” he says. “And our milk yields have gradually risen – cows are producing around 12,000 litres.”

the intake when shredding large, dense bales,” explains Kverneland feeding specialist Dan Crowe. “And opting for a hydraulic ram to regulate control means faster response and smoother operation too. It means there’s less chance of blocking this machine, when handling poor quality straw.”

Under-pinning the new 863 is a six-stud axle offering greater durability, while drive to the bottom rotor is now via four V-belts. A chain drive to the bed affords more power to positively feed straw into the shredding rotor.

While finer control and fine output is likely to appeal to those operating in sheep sheds, the increased performance means blowing performance can deliver up to 28m of throw.

Mowing goes heavy duty Those in search of greater mowing capacity now have another option to choose from, within the Kverneland portfolio. It is the 5387 MT, a heavy-duty butterfly mower conditioner, that offers an 8.75m working width.

This new version uses the QuattroLink suspension system, which sees each 3.2m rear mowing unit carried with four

suspension arms located onto a fixed beam. As such, each centrally mounted mower bed can float independent of the main frame, so it can respond quickly and accurately to changes in ground contours.

QuattroLink affords 700mm of vertical movement and also 30-degrees of transverse oscillation, while maintaining a constant ground pressure

during work. This new system has been designed to provide increased mower bed stability at higher forward speeds, ensuring a clean cut with an even stubble height.

A further advantage of QuattroLink is its 100% safety breakaway function, which sees the mower bed move simultaneously backwards and upwards to clear an obstacle.

Semi-swing steel conditioning tines and an adjustable conditioner plate, plus wide spreading vanes and swath plates are fitted as standard, and the unit folds vertically, beyond 90-degrees for transport.

Suitable for tractors with a minimum of 180hp, the 5387 MT can be used with mechanical controls or the optional ComfortControl joystick.

Making hay while the sun shines During the last 20 years of haymaking, Dorset grower Malcolm Barnes says he’s never made any bad hay and haylage.

“I’ve had some good luck,” he says. “But I’ve also got some good kit too, which has helped to make the most of weather conditions.”

That kit includes a Kverneland 9472 twin rotor rake with an adjustable working width from 6.2-7.2m, and an 85112 11m, 10-rotor tedder – the latter replaced a six-rotor, 7.6m machine, with all supplied by a GCS Agricentre.

“We do seem to get more and more dodgy summers, which puts the pressure on getting it right first time,” says Malcolm, based at Manor Farm, East Stoke, near Wareham.

Each season, he cuts around 180 acres of grass to make hay and

haylage for the local equestrian markets. While mowing, baling and wrapping is handled by a local contractor, Malcolm prefers to manage the crop himself, using Kverneland equipment.

“Kverneland equipment lets me make the most of sunshine, to produce the highest quality hay” Malcolm Barnes | Farmer “I bought more output for the 2019 season,” he says. “The 11m tedder means I can move the whole crop in under three hours, so my crop can make the most of the best sunshine, from midday to 2pm. It’s essential for high quality forage.”

He chooses 1.8m-long bales for wrapped haylage, and 2.4m bales for hay.

Depending on the season, he may ted the crop from three to five times, before raking up ahead of a large square baler.

“I do study the weather endlessly,” he adds. “When you see a good weather window, it becomes a race against time.

And luckily, I’ve got some reliable and productive kit, to get the job done. It’s all been supplied through GCS Agricentre, which provides a great service and technical support for these elements of my business.”

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GEO eliminates lodging for Ragley Hall fertilisers, to ensure we spread correctly at 32m.”

“It’s cost-effective to change vanes every year, to maintain application accuracy ” Hamish Stewart | Farm Manager With around 400 tonnes of bagged fertiliser to apply each year at Ragley Home Farms, manager Hamish Stewart reckons little can get close to the application accuracy of his Exacta TL with GEOSPREAD. “Of all the fertiliser spreaders I’ve tried, the Exacta is by far the most accurate,” he says. “We tray test with SCS and buy reputable

The 6,000-acre Warwickshire estate farms 4,000-acres, comprising a mix of winter and spring cereals, plus linseed and poppies, with grass and parkland accounting for 700 acres. Until five years ago, Ragley Home Farms was 100% liquid fertiliser, but it proved too much for just one self-propelled sprayer.

“Having such an accurate spreader makes it logical to share the workload,” he says. “We can now spray and spread at the same time, on different parts of the estate. But more importantly, we apply exactly the right amounts, in all the right places, and at the right time.”

Mr Stewart explains that the results speak for themselves, and has recently upgraded to the latest Exacta TL, supplied by local dealer Murley at Evesham.

“We do get very even crop canopies, and thanks to the auto start/stop and section control from GEOSPREAD, we’ve eliminated lodging at headlands,” he says. “Headlands account for 33% of the area we farm, so this area demands close scrutiny.”

Average field size is just 16 acres, though inputs are carefully targeted using variable rate applications to suit crop and soil types. In-field efficiency is helped by a high-tip trailer, into which fertiliser bags are emptied, to speed up turn-around times

when the spreader needs refilling.

“Using a trailer to fast-fill has created a huge efficiency gain,” he says. “And given the accuracy of weigh cells and RTK, we can cover around 600 acres/day, spreading at speeds of up to 20kph.”

Mr Stewart warns that it is easy to get bogged down in technology, and over-look the basics.

“That includes knowing where your fertilisers are going – and the Kverneland spreader shows me precisely where the applications are made.”

Get ready for next season Be prepared for the coming season, by giving your Kverneland fertiliser spreader a health check. It starts by making sure the actuators and weigh cells (if fitted) are in good working order.

Maintain its spreading accuracy by fitting original vanes from your local Kverneland dealer. And if you haven’t checked the spread pattern recently, then consider having a tray test to ensure the spread pattern continues to put expensive fertilisers exactly where they need to go.

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Ensure the hopper is clean and free of any blockages

Check safe working condition of PTO shaft and guards. Lubricate and replace any faulty parts.

Ensure all actuators and weigh cells are free of fertiliser residues

Check Dosing Cup settings. Reset if necessary

Check all drive shafts & clutch discs. and Replace worn parts

Check oil levels in both gearboxes – top up if required

Inspect all spreading vanes – replace if worn or damaged

Strathisla Farms manages overlaps with GEOSPREAD E is for efficiency four-cylinder JD 6125R tractor, but shod on 710 tyres and carrying a press up-front.

“A large footprint with a relatively small tractor helps to tread lightly on top of ploughing,” he says. “It also means I don’t have to bury the power harrow just to remove wheelings.”

Image courtesy of The Scottish Farmer

Adrian Ivory’s switch to an Exacta TL with GEOSPREAD was a move designed to future-proof fertiliser spreading at Strathisla Farms.

“My existing machine just wasn’t accurate enough, and I looked for greater precision from a spinning disc spreader,” explains Adrian, who manages the 1,800-acre mixed farm, based at Moolies, Ruthven, Blairgowrie. “But I also took the opportunity to choose a machine that could also manage variable rate applications.”

Operating on a 27m tramline system for its arable operation, Strathisla Farms has fields ranging from one to 92 acres in size. And having a spreader that can automatically adjust its spreading width in onemetre sections, has exceeded expectations.

“We’ve had the spreader for a couple of seasons now, and in its first season, we saved over 10 tonnes of fertiliser simply by improving application accuracy,” he says. “And I know that we’re putting every bit of fertiliser exactly where it needs to go.”

“With automatic start/stop and auto section control, our

“By increasing application accuracy, GEOSPREAD saved us 10 tonnes of fertiliser in its first year ” Adrian Ivory | Farm Manager overlaps are minimal and those field boundaries near water courses are treated with utmost care thanks to the GEOSPREAD capability,” says Adrian. “And on grassland, without tramlines, it’s superb.”

To make the most of logistics, spreading is a two-man team, which sees fertiliser brought to the field to improve output, timeliness and efficiency.

Supplied by HRN Tractors, and used with a Tellus GO terminal with the farm’s MF7618, he says the spreading process is gearing up for variable rate applications.

“I’m so pleased with the spreader’s performance, that the next step is to move into variable rate spreading,” he says. “And we’ll use the coming season to assess this next level of precision and see how it translates into yield and practicality.”

“My Kverneland power harrow/drill combination produces a great finish” Rob Morgan | Farmer As a lone operator, Rob Morgan has always kept a keen eye on efficiency.

It’s why he has stuck with Kverneland power harrow drill combinations for his 800 acres of arable drilling, which includes 250 acres at Home Farm, Acton Burnell, in Shropshire.

His combination of choice is currently a 3m e-drill Compact with CX-II coulters, sitting on top of an NG-H with toothed packer roller, and supplied by Battlefield Machinery.

“Having a power-harrow drill combination helps to keeps my seedbeds weatherproof,” says Rob Morgan. “A neighbour operates a fivefurrow Kverneland plough, and we often run together to make the most of each other’s kit.”

With compaction in mind, Rob chooses to operate with a

Removing hopper extensions also reduced weight, and also helped rearward visibility.

“I’ve added a camera in the hopper, and this lets me cover an extra 2-3 acres/day without having to bail out early for a top-up of seed,” he says. “And it also means I don’t need to use hopper extensions.”

Growing a wide variety of crops including winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley, oilseed rape, stubble turnips and grass, he bought the e-drill in 2018 to replace an i-drill. And following initial concerns about moving to ISOBUS and ditching the control box, he is a convert to reducing in-cab clutter.

“I was slightly nervous at not buying a control box – but the integration and control through my JD terminal is superb,” he adds. “There are fewer control boxes in the cab, and seamless integration.

And with a CVT transmission, it’s a pretty efficient outfit with plenty of output when running at 10kph.”

Seed placement is great, germination is faultless and seed rate accuracy is spot-on with the ELDOS electronic seed metering system,” he adds.

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Toolbar tactics suits Yorkshire grower “The DF1 is a flexible and versatile system, that suits our cultivation strategy” Rob Laybourn | Farmer When the time came to upgrade a 10-year old DF1 power harrow and toolbar combination, Rob Laybourn had little reason to move away from a tried and trusted, and very reliable outfit.

That’s because his DF1 system and front hopper had been the pinnacle of reliability and accuracy.

“It’s been so good, that I decided to keep my original front tank and metering unit, but trade-up to a wider power harrow and a toolbar equipped with CX-II coulters,” explains Rob.

Bought through local dealer Farmstar, he says the previous toolbar’s Suffolk coulters lacked enough operational flexibility, for changing soil types and different cultivation practices.

with a five-furrow Kverneland EG85, which covers around 150 acres each year,” he says. “The rest is min-tilled, mostly to encourage a stale seedbed, then drilled with the DF1.”

“We found that the Suffolks needed far better conditions to work in – and they struggled to penetrate in trashy seedbeds,” he says. “In less than ideal conditions, the Suffolk coulters could drag trash which could result in a bowwave and the toolbar could then lift and ride over. They worked okay, but seeding technology has moved on.”

And this is where a change in coulter system will improve seed placement for the family business, as it seeks to lower establishment costs and increase efficiency.

Trading as RG and RWF Laybourn from the 650-acre Elmsall Lodge Farm, Badsworth, west Yorkshire, the family farm operates a mostly arable enterprise. Soils are medium to heavy, sitting over clay, with winter wheat, winter barley and oilseed rape forming the basis of the farm’s rotation.

“We’re keeping on top of blackgrass by rotational ploughing

“From what we’ve experienced so far, the CX-II coulters simply cut through anything on the surface to achieve a far more accurate seed placement depth – even in ploughing,” says Rob. “And the amount of coulter pressure adjustment will offer scope for fine-tuning this new toolbar in different seedbed conditions.”

His previous model was a 3.5m outfit. Coulter spacings were tweaked to create a 3.42m working width, resulting in seven passes to create 24m tramlines.

The new 4m unit needs only six passes to achieve the same goal.

“We’re looking for much greater efficiency, so I’ve also tradedup with horsepower,” he adds.

“My previous Puma 160 has now become a Puma 185. So staying with the DF1 system means weight is spread out, which also helps with minimising compaction.”

He says outputs of the old system varied from 20-55 acres, depending on field size.

“I’ve drilled up to 55 acres in a day, in a 90-acre field,” he says.

“It’s not bad with a 3.5m outfit, so the 4m set-up should give us an extra 15% output.”

Consolidation ahead of the power harrow comes from a 3.5m Guttler press, sat below the DF1 front tank. Though a wider, folding unit is planned for next season, to match the 4m folding power harrow and toolbar.

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