Pöttinger launched its award-winning Aerosem pneumatic seed drills in 2013 with the highest possible flexibility making it suitable for crops including maize, cereals, canola, soya, among others. Now, however, the Austrian machinery manufacturer has also managed to integrate precision seed drilling technology into the machine.
The unique, completely new distribution system meets all users’ demands. There’s no other system like this anywhere in the world. The Aerosem 1002 series is available in working widths of 3.om, 3.5m and 4.0m. The seed drill is mounted above the rear roller of the soil preparation implement, such as a Fox compact combination or Lion power harrow. The centre of gravity of the compact machine is located close to the tractor.
The metering system enables seeds to be output at between 1.5kg and 340kg at driving speeds of up to 12km/hr. Depending on the type of seed, the metering wheels can be exchanged quickly and easily.
Very good distribution is achieved across the full width of the drill with cereals and small seed, especially in the rows next to tramlines, which have the same density of seed as elsewhere. This is guaranteed by the unique distributor system with integrated double-cover system for returning the seed into the tank when tramlines are enabled. With the fully automatic distributor system (IDS), each outlet can be controlled individually to match the width of the farm’s crop care tractor.
Farmers and contractors have confirmed that the quality of precision drilling maize meets all expectations. Users are very pleased with how well the system works and how straightforward it is to operate. Using the German Agricultural Association (DLG) system for assessing placement accuracy in terms of empty areas, overlaps and standard deviation, the standard deviation of the maize seeds drilled are within a range demanded by farming professionals. Optimum seed placement is achieved with the Aerosem at driving speeds of up to 8km/hr.
A seed slot former and firming roller are integrated into the Dualdisc coulters to ensure each individual seed is placed correctly. This guarantees that the seed is positioned so it’s in contact with the capillary. The result is uniform growth without germination problems.
Another advantage of the Aerosem with Precision Combi Seeding (PCS) is that no tractor wheel marks are left in the field, protecting against run-off.
While drilling maize, the heart of this seed drill can be used simultaneously to deposit fertiliser next to the rows of maize. Many of the machines sold are used in combination to sow grass seed. The results are extremely positive because erosion is minimised even on slopes.
For more information visit: www.poettinger.at.
