There’s plenty of choice for those who prefer a tine coulter over a disc when seeding direct. CPM rounds up a selection.
A trailed hopper and rear-mounted coulter frame can handle dry or liquid fertiliser.
By Peter Hill
The minimum disturbance offered by a disc coulter has its merits, especially where blackgrass is a problem. But for many direct drillers, it’s not the favoured method of getting seed into the ground.
Soil type or the presence of a large volume of stones may dictate the tine as the best coulter. There’s a risk with discs of hair-pinning trash into the seed channel, or smearing the slot in some soil types, especially when conditions are less than ideal. And sometimes just a little disturbance is needed, even when drilling direct.
Fortunately, growers have plenty of choice when it comes to tracking down a machine for direct sowing with a tine, with various configurations, ways in which they create the tilth and leave the seed.
Amazone
The trailed Cayena is available in a single working width of 6m, deploying three rows of TineTeC heavy-duty chisel openers with bolt-on wear blocks, unless easy-working soils allow the ‘regular’ version to be used.
Both are mounted on trailing arms with rubber inserts in the frame clamp allowing some vibration and also three-way displacement around stones and other obstructions.
Soil The Cayena deploys three rows of TineTeC heavy-duty chisel openers.
engagement on the Condor is solely the preserve of the ConTeC pro heavy-duty tine coulters.
Straight discs added ahead of the tines cut through trash and the coulters are followed by an Exact S levelling/covering harrow and then an 800mm diameter wedge-ring tyre roller.
Seed and fertiliser are metered individually on the Cayena 6001-C combo version but are then combined in the seed pipe.
The wide-working Condor trailed drill comes in 12m and 15m widths, with soil engagement solely the preserve of the ConTeC pro heavy-duty tine coulters.
Tungsten carbide/cobalt alloy tips aim to minimise wear in abrasive soils and up to 120kg of pressure is available at the tines, which are arranged in three staggered rows with rubber clamp inserts allowing movement over the surface.
A close-coupled wheel, either air- or foam-filled or Otico flexi type, provides pressing and depth control duties and mechanically-driven metering rollers operate through a Vario gearbox; ditto for the down-the-pipe fertiliser system.
Available in 3m and 6m working widths, Amazone’s Primera dedicated direct drill (main picture) uses chisel tines in an assembly with a close-coupled steel hoop clearing trash and a steel dish roller regulating the depth.
Parallel linkage incorporating torsion spring lower links and an auto-reset spring-loaded upper link allows horizontal and vertical break-away.
Seed covering is performed by the combination roller immediately aft of the tines plus an Exact harrow, but a packer roller aligned with each row can be added.
Claydon Hybrid
With mounted models from 3m to 6m and trailed versions in 4m to 8m widths, there’s plenty of choice in the Claydon Hybrid range.
Trailed versions can have rubber press wheels or shouldered trash cutting discs across the front of the implement, and all feature the OptiTill set-up of a leading tine to loosen soil and create a drainage channel, followed by a spring tine coulter on the same trailing arm with interchangeable points and band-sowing boots.
All Claydon Hybrids feature the OptiTill set-up of a leading tine, followed by a spring tine coulter and band-sowing boots.
Alternatively, a flat trash-cutting disc or a twin tine kit can replace the leading tine and there is a twin-tine coulter for single-line sowing in wet, sticky soils.
Seed covering is by paddle tines and a levelling harrow; paddle tines and press wheels; a two-row levelling harrow; or press wheels followed by a levelling harrow.
Cross Slot
The trailed Cross Slot drill deploys two rows of Baker inverted ‘T’ coulters, each located alongside a notched disc, with liquid fertiliser placement where available being delivered from the wing section opposite the seed outlet.
This combination is mounted on parallel linkage with hydraulic cylinder lift-lower also providing damage protection and downforce.
A pair of close-coupled angled press wheels closes and firms the slot while also providing depth control.
Wing folding on 4m models and wider enables the drill to travel on its on mid-mounted flotation tyres.
Dale Drills Eco-Drill
The Eco-Drill comes in tractor-mounted ‘S’ versions and trailed ‘M’ format, both with a frame-mounted hopper; ‘L’ models with a hopper at the rear mounted directly above the field support/road transport wheels, and in ‘XL’ form with a seed cart carrying the coulter frame.
Common to all are chisel tines arranged in three rows in staggered pairs on parallel linkage with adjustable row spacing. Optional fertiliser placement is via the front coulter when in wide-spaced configuration.
A hydraulic cylinder on each linkage assembly provides coulter suspension and damage protection, while Dale’s own serrated press wheel is shaped for seed row consolidation while also providing seeding depth control.
All trailed sizes above 3m have wing folding to 3m for travel on transport wheel assemblies.
Horsch Sprinter
The Duett double seed row wing tine coulter features on the Horsch Sprinter, protected by a coil spring mechanism providing up to 285kg of pressure.
Horsch’s PPF system dispenses fertiliser separately at the coulter below seed depth; ST versions with a frame-mounted hopper handle dry fertiliser only, while on SW models, a trailed hopper and rear-mounted coulter frame can handle dry or liquid fertiliser.
A tyre packer can be installed across the front of all versions to provide support and also seedbed consolidation when working on cultivated ground but stand post-coulter equipment comprises two rows of flexible covering tines and a choice of 650-780mm diameter packer tyres.
McConnel Seedaerator
This tractor-mounted drill can be equipped with a staggered row of flat trash-cutting discs or a soil-loosening tine and press wheel ahead of the two rows of wing tine coulters.
These come in a choice of dimensions from 60-170mm twin row, all mounted on parallel linkage and with a coil spring providing compliance and damage protection.
A soft press and depth control close-coupled on the coulter parallel linkage closes and consolidates the resulting tilth, with one or two rows of paddle tines or levelling harrow tines available as further finishing elements if required.
Micro fertiliser placement is available on the TwinTank model.
