KRM has introduced a seed drill that uses the new Sola Aura front hopper and Seed Ramp rear-mounted tine coulter frame.
The Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire-based firm said splitting the drill between the front and rear of the tractor provides better weight distribution, while the Aura’s various metering options mean growers could sow companion crops or grain and fertiliser simultaneously.
The Aura front hopper has a capacity of 2,000 litres; it can be supplied for a single product with a single metering unit or with two metering units to provide half-width shut-off. The hopper can also be supplied as a split hopper where 1,000 litres of two separate products can be accommodated and individually metered. In this configuration, it can sow either two types of seed for those wishing to sow a companion crop; or seed and fertiliser can be applied.
The Aura utilises the same stainless steel metering units as KRM’s Ares-P and SM-P drills and also has the same ISObus control. The hopper is pressurised with a sealed lid to ensure a consistent and even seed flow to the metering unit from the hopper whether it’s full or almost empty on level seedbeds or when working on slopes.
Each Sola-developed metering system, providing rates from 2.0kg/ha to 400kg/ha, is electrically driven with ISObus control of all functions of the drill including 2+2 tramline shut-off and monitoring of forward speed; fan speed and hopper seed level. The Aura is prepared for auto on/off section control at headlands and for variable seed rates. Both left and right half-width shut-off is available as an option that can be controlled manually or automatically by GPS section control.
Set-up of the Aura is very straightforward, allowing the operator, from one initial calibration, to quickly and accurately set the desired sowing rate. Simply pressing a button activates the metering unit to collect an amount of seed, and by entering this into the ISObus the metering unit then automatically sets precisely to the rate required. A high-speed airstream provided by a hydraulically driven fan carries the seed from the metering unit to each coulter.
The Seed Ramp on the rear of the tractor features a strong space frame chassis to save weight, allowing use with lower-horsepower tractors to help save costs and reduce overall weight on the seedbed. The Aura incorporates the same heavy-duty SM tine coulter as KRM’s SM-P and SM1909 drills that will work directly into unmoved soil, into min-till seedbeds and into ploughed land.
The SM coulter has a narrow, rigid tine angled forward for positive penetration with minimum soil disturbance. It is tungsten carbide tipped for maximum working life in the hardest ground conditions. Sowing widths of 4.0m, 4.8m, 5.0m, 6.0m and 7.0m are available to match tractor and tramline width requirements. The seed ramp folds hydraulically to 3.0m for safe and fast transport between fields. It can be fitted with one or two distribution heads and piped according to the customers’ requirements.
The coulters are mounted in four rows at an effective row spacing of 16cm (25cm spacing is available as an option) with a stagger of 40cm to ensure free movement of trash or large stones. Each coulter mounting incorporates an auto-reset spring to protect against damage from hidden obstructions below the soil surface.
Following the coulters is a combination following harrow of angled and straight tines to ensure the seedbed is left level and firmed for good soil/seed contact and to retain moisture in dry conditions. Large 400mm diameter, rear-fold disc markers provide a clear mark for accurate bout matching in difficult seedbeds and incorporate a safety break-back system.
Many farmers are saving costs by using Tine Drills for direct drilling, but are also adopting this technique for cereal growing to minimise soil movement in the seedbed for blackgrass control. Tine drills avoid the need for heavy disc systems required to ensure penetration in hard conditions and avoid the risk of smearing and not always covering the seed in wetter soil conditions. The capital cost involved in an additional, purpose-built direct drill is high and maintenance costs can be restrictive.
The price of the new KRM Aura front hopper starts at £22,730 and a 6.0m, 37-row seed ramp with SM coulters has a retail price of £33,490 (correct at May 2023).
