Precise application of several materials

Seed and fertiliser flexibly combined

The Cirrus-CC trailed drill combination used in conjunction with the GreenDrill 501 universal catch crop seeder box means that up to three different materials can be simultaneously applied independently of each other at various placement depths. The multi-bin function enables all three hoppers to be controlled via three different application maps, and the seed rates of the respective materials can be varied independently of each other in the part-area.

There are a large number of options for combining seed and fertiliser, for example:

• Single-shoot: Starter fertilisation in the seed furrow
• Double-shoot: Fertiliser deposited between the rows
• Triple-shoot: Sowing two seed types with fertiliser at three different placement depths

Multi-boom – for precise switching of individual metering units at the headland

When applying several materials, as with the Cirrus-CC, the different media are metered via two independent metering units and placed at two different points using the double-shoot method. As the fertiliser coulter runs in front of the roller and the sowing coulter behind the roller, the two metering units must switch at different times via GPS-Switch. The multi-boom function automatically switches each medium on and off at the headland with a time stagger, in order to achieve optimum switch-on and switch-off times. If a GreenDrill is also present, the undersowing can also be controlled on the basis of time.

The following practical advantages are provided:

• Time-staggered switching of the metering units at the headland
• Different materials are switched as precisely as possible
• There are no overlaps or misses
• Reduction in the use of seed and fertiliser

Undersown crops
For plant and yield protection

Weed pressure can be minimised and erosion control increased by undersowing companion plants via the double- or triple-shoot method. The simultaneous sowing of legumes for nitrogen fixation is also interesting in this respect.

Double-shoot in undersowing:
e.g. sowing spring cereals/oats in combination with clover

• Clover suppresses weeds through early soil coverage
• Spring cereals grow through the clover
• Clover can be harvested after the cereal harvest

Triple-shoot in undersowing:
e.g. sowing rape together with field beans and a companion crop mixture of phacelia and buckwheat

• Rape in the upper horizon as a main crop
• Field beans sown deeply via the fertiliser coulter as a nitrogen fixer
• Companion plants sown on the surface for weed suppression

The following practical advantages are provided by undersown crops or companion crops:

• Greater biodiversity
• Less soil erosion
• Better protection against moisture loss
• Improved soil structure
• Improved nutrient availability
• Fewer crop protection measures
• CO₂ fixing, humus formation
• Increase in photosynthetic activity

Praise from end users Sven and Robin Gürth, who run an organic farm with mixed crops near Wittenberg

I also want to be able to sow the seed at different depths and that works out quite well with the individual four-way adjustment of the RoTeC coulters.

This gives us the option of sowing two seeds at different depths. However, the double seed delivery system also allows us to sow two components at the same depth via the first and second row of coulters.

(“agrarheute” - 10/2020)