The Ag in Motion farm show offered a perfect opportunity to look at the variety of seed drill openers on the market in Western Canada. In this series, which looks at what choices producers have when placing their seed and fertilizer, we take a look at the different opener designs that manufacturers offer, along with other new equipment features they’re introducing for the next growing season.
LANGHAM, Sask. — On the grounds of the Ag in Motion farm show, SeedMaster displayed a new prototype drill with a very different opener design from the company’s original dual-knife, side-banding system: a single-knife with dual down-pressure and trip-control cylinders.
“From SeedMaster’s founding more than 20 years ago, it was a dual knife opener system that really was at the core and foundation of the business,” says Tim Criddle, the company’s global sales director.
Read Also
Input companies complain of regulation creep
Canada’s competitiveness is at risk if federal agencies don’t streamline approval processes and take farmers’ costs into consideration.
“Today, we actually have three different openers.
“We’ve expanded on the dual knife to create an inline system, so you can put a paired row on it for better seedbed utilization or a sideband. Really, the goal there is to improve flow in heavy trash conditions.
“We have a prototype that we’ve been running successfully, and it’s a single knife. We’re actually going to be marketing a handful of (single-knife) units for 2025.”
The single-knife prototype uses what the company calls an “independent trip” system, using a pair of hydraulic cylinders on each opener. One, which is mounted vertically where the opener mounts to the tool bar, controls down pressure.
“The second is all about controlling trip force,” says Criddle.
“When trying to do both on one cylinder, it was really difficult to find the sweet spot. It allows you to fine tune the packing pressure. It allows you to fine tune the trip.”
SeedMaster will begin limited production of the new single knife opener drills for the 2025 growing season.
“We’re in the process of finalizing what our pre-production is going to be on this, he adds.
“Today, our product offering is all about listening to customers and giving them a choice. It’s part of our evolution at SeedMaster and our approach to opener offerings.”
“If you can’t find the (opener) that fits your operation, you haven’t looked hard enough at our company, especially since the last four seasons,” says Curtis Hinrichsen, Bourgault’s sales territory manager.
“You should be able to find an opener that fits your operation because we have a broad selection. There’s a reason for that. Every farm wants to put their fertilizer down in a different manner. And we offer all the different types.”
Bourgault displayed its PLS, PLX and PLDS openers on the show grounds. Like SeedMaster, it’s best known for the original opener configuration it went to market with, a single knife for seed placement paired with a mid-row bander for fertilizer.
“The product we come from in our history is a single knife opener, narrow tipped with a mid-row bander for fertilizer,” says Hinrichsen.
“That’s what everyone seems to know Bourgault for. That one we refer to as a PLS.”
However, the company has since added the PLX and PLDS to its product portfolio to better meet a broader range of grower needs.
“The second type of opener we came up with in 2012 is the PLX. It’s heritage comes from the XTC, which was an extreme terrain contouring opener, a para-link extreme. That one is meant more for ground that contours a lot — hilly, washouts, ditches, that kind of thing. It’s a one-to-one opener with very good depth control. It’s typically used with a narrow opener.”
About four years ago, Bourgault began offering the PLDS, which uses a dual shank design.
“A lot of the industry uses that style of opener, says Hinrichsen, “and we know it has some benefits. But like a single knife, it has some drawbacks, too. That’s why we let the customer decide which one fits their operation, depending on what they want to do fertility wise and with their farming practices.
“Each of these openers lends itself to different farming operations. That’s why we feel there’s a need for all these different styles of openers.”
While Hinrichsen notes the dual knife design offers quick emergence, it doesn’t perform as well in fields with heavy trash when compared to a single knife opener.
“Trash clearance with a single knife and banders is significantly better than a dual knife for residue clearance. But if you manage your residue properly, you’re fine with a dual knife, even on a 10-inch spacing.”
Bourgault also offers what it calls its TriMax opener arrangement, which is dual knife openers paired with mid-row banders. That gives growers a lot of choice as to where to place fertilizer and makes a one-pass seeding operation possible, even with very heavy rates of fertilizer application.
“If you’re going to put very high rates (of fertilizer) down with the seed, that’s where we feel mid-row banding or TriMax offers some benefits,” he adds.
“Some soil types can’t handle as high a rate as close to the seed as others. Maybe a dual knife in a heavy clay soil that’s predominantly wet can get away with a little higher rate of fertilizer than one that’s a little drier and loamier.
“In my mind, (the TriMax) is the pinnacle for agronomic reasons. You can put your seed and fertility wherever you want.”
