REGINA – Farmers received precise directions at last week’s Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina.
New Holland emphasized precision when explaining how its big rotary combine, the 9080, handled fragile pulse crops.
Seed Hawk and Seed Master mentioned it when talking about the controlled metering on their drills.
It was a key message in the careful placement of seed by Deere’s Conserva Pak hoe drill unit and from agronomy consultants supporting variable rate application of seed and fertilizer.
More than 20 companies marketed their satellite guidance systems that keep equipment operating on razor thin lines in the field while protecting crops from the effects of applying too much or too little pesticide and fertilizer.
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Talk of precision in agriculture was everywhere.
So it was no surprise when CNH released its new Case IH Precision Hoe 800 and New Holland P2070 drill at the Regina show. The two are the same Saskatoon-built machines with different paint.
Randy Baker, president of CNH’s agricultural division, made the trip to Saskatchewan from his home in Racine, Wisconsin, to attend the show and the launch.
He said getting seed and fertilizer placement right is critical to success for many producers, especially in small seeded crops such as canola and flax.
The company had previously offered a precision disc drill and hoe drill, but the new drill provides the trash clearance of a hoe drill while maintaining the precision offered by a disc unit.
“We see this delivering cost savings to grain producers who are investing heavily in the best genetics and want to keep those seeding rates down to ideal levels, ensuring every seed gets the best start it can,” he said.
“Precision seed and fertilizer placement isn’t just about higher yields from a better start to the crop; it’s also about cost savings …. At 5,000, 10,000 or more acres, those add up along with higher yields.”
The unit uses what CNH calls true parallel-link row units and ultra low disturbance side banding openers.
At first glance, the new CNH openers look as though they might have hit a big rock and were bent to one side.
At closer inspection, however, the opener has two sides that are bent away from one another, creating a V-shaped gap in the middle of the opener.
Dale Simpson of CNH said the design creates a clear separation between seed and fertilizer of one to 1.5 inches within the approximately two inch wide sweep of the opener.
“It allows farmers to place large amounts of seed and fertilizer without fear of burning the (seedlings).”
He said the opener’s low disturbance meets the needs of producers looking to retain moisture in the soil at seeding.
The machines also reduce their hydraulic draw at the shanks by operating only when required. This can be an issue for large seeding units pulling big air carts that use hydraulically demanding fans to push seed and fertilizer 50 feet or more to the openers.
A hard half-inch tip on the end of the double shoot opener clears the path at the soil while a narrow opener body and single shank create a wide opening for crop residue to pass.
“We’ve tested this machine in some very heavy residue, the way it is in the northern Prairies, and it can clear a lot of residue without plugging and still follow the contour of the soil with the flexibility of the frame,” Simpson said.
The units rely on hydraulics to set the packing pressure on the 4.8 – 8 Carlisle pneumatic tires and keep the openers in the ground. Pressure on the sections is managed against the row units to ensure the machine can follow an uneven field surface. The range of motion in the shanks is 16 inches in total: seven up and nine down.
Each run has its depth set manually in 1/8 inch increments up to two inches deep with a single bolt and nut and a notched slot on the shank.
Sheldon Gerspacher of New Holland in Saskatoon said the company has tested the drill extensively in a variety of soil types, including heavy clay in North Dakota and Montana.
“It’s worked out well. It’s a bit of a different design for us. We came late to the precision hoe drill dance. It gave our R and D folks a chance to see what other companies were offering and where their designs could be improved upon,” Gerspacher said.
“We went and visited a lot of producers that had competitors’ machines and asked them what they liked and didn’t like. We talked to our own customers. So farmers have really designed this drill.”
Baker said the new CNH precision drill uses heavier components in the trailing arm design than those used in many competing precision drills.
“It doesn’t tend to flex very much, keeping the seed and fertilizer (rows) from crossing during turning when there are heavy side forces being placed on the row units,” he said.
“Folks who buy our precision drills won’t be needing to think about investing in a new welder to bring to the field. It’s solid.”
Most western Canadian producers have large land bases and a seasonal seeding window that often seems impossibly small.
The new drill was designed to cover a lot of land. The widest of three operating widths is 70 feet. The two others are 50 and 60 feet.
It folds to a transport width of 17 feet, eight inches, producing a profile that is often narrower than the tractor towing it.
A regional dealer in Saskatchewan said his only recommendation would be to add additional hard surfacing to the bottoms of the openers in areas where there was observable wear after 4,000 acres in a loam soil.
Simpson said the new Precision Hoe 800 would sell for about $3,000 per foot with supplies of the machine available for next spring.
