“Row spacing is a hot topic with all crops,” says Free State farmer and owner of Valtrac, Wynn Dedwith. The wider the row spacing, the more accurately the seed has to be placed in the rows to reduce loss. Technical innovations in machines with wider row spacing seek to optimise the space between adjacent seeds in the row to ensure a uniform seed spacing in the wider rows. But the fact is that machines with narrower row spacing ensure more uniform spacing.
A narrower row spacing (125mm) accommodates 20% more rows on a 3m-wide drill than a 150mm spacing does. This increased yield without the need for complicated technical solutions optimises the longitudinal seed spacing in the row. The latest Pöttinger Terrasem seed drill plants at a density of 300 seeds/m². The theoretical seed spacing in the row is 20mm (for a row width of 166mm), 22mm (150mm) and 27mm (125mm). Based in Parys, Wynn’s company Valtrac is investigating the viability of the Pöttinger Terrasem drill for planting wheat in South Africa.
Horizontal flexibility
The Terrasem is compact, with a unique packer tyre system that enables an extremely tight turning radius on the land. At
the same time, the hinged disc harrow, packer and seed rail elements follow the contours of the ground perfectly. The leading tillage tools – featuring an integrated disc harrow – ensure intensive soil mixing while the dual disc seed coulters guarantee neat seed drilling to complete the process.
Seed spacing with the Terrasem drill.
Precision metering
The metering unit is electrically driven and controlled via radar sensor or ISOBUS signal from the tractor. Depending on the seeding rate, the metering wheel can be changed quickly and easily according to seed size.
Simultaneous fertilisation
Fertiliser can now be applied through a row of Dual-Disc Exakt coulters at time of sowing. The coulter places the fertiliser between each double row of seed. Placement depth can be adjusted independently of the cultivating and sowing depths to ensure optimal root nourishment. Alternatively, the fertiliser can be broadcast using spreader plates.
The R3, R4 & C4 models
Valtrac’s Terrasem R3, R4 and C4 seed drills handle the tillage, packing and seeding stages in a single pass at working widths of 3m and 4m. In addition to precise seed grain placement, the drills feature ground tracking, central coulter pressure adjustment between 40kg and 120kg per coulter and a high-volume seed tank. The R3 and R4 rigid versions have a short overall length, high manoeuvrability and optimum ground protection. The universal C4 version folds for transport.
