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The Lemken Solitair MR series mounted drills are suitable for fertiliser even in its basic configuration.
The new Lemken Solitair MR series mounted drills, available in three or four metre working widths, features a 1500-litre tank, which is suitable for fertiliser even in its basic configuration.
The tank is also available as a 2000-litre capacity option, which can be split 60:40 on request for simultaneous application of several components. Either can be complemented by adding the 200-litre MultiHub to the tank, allowing mixed crop systems can be achieved in a single pass.
Seeds from the MultiHub are delivered via the existing seed lines or via a baffle plate system in front of or behind the harrows, offering the same number of width sections as the seed drill, with control fully integrated into the user interface of the ISOBUS terminal as an additional seed line.
The Solitair MR is equipped with the maintenance-free OptiDisc coulter bar with row spacings of 12.5 or 15cm, featuring parallelogram-guided double disc coulters and trailing depth control rollers for uniform field emergence. The coulter system is available as a hydraulic version, with up to 70kg coulter pressure, or a mechanical version offering up to 45kg coulter pressure.
Coulter pressure and seed depth can each be adjusted independently of each other, which is useful when drilling mixed crops. This can be achieved by applying a separate drilling depth setting to each second row, to allow seeds to be placed at the same depth, even at high forward speeds and in changing soils, while the depth control roller subsequently presses the seeds down to ensure rapid and even emergence.
Distributor heads are positioned directly above the coulter bar and do not require a seed return function. The new Solitair is equipped with two metering systems, each supplying one distributor with seeds, so that even the basic configuration offers width section or half-width control, while a hydraulic tramline mechanism can also be added as an option.
For customers opting for the single or double shot version, the Solitair MR comes with four metering units for two width sections, with each tank connected to two metering units. This means that each of the two distributors can be supplied with both components (single shot) or each of the four distributors can be supplied with one component each (double shot).
Aimed at seedbed preparation to exploit the potential of the Solitair MR, the next generation of Lemken Zirkon MR rotary harrows offers the possibility of mounting the drill above the rear roller.
Approved for tractors up to 240hp, the new Zirkon MR features a new mounting system that ensures that the working depth of the rotary harrow and the sowing depth of the seed drill are each controlled independently. This makes it easier for customers to set up the machine to suit individual circumstances, particularly so because the Zirkon offers hydraulic adjustment of the levelling bar and working depth.
Both the Solitair and the Zirkon rotary harrow are currently available in limited quantities, with series production commencing in 2025.
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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