Airpro joins seeding drill lineup
Power Farming has added the Aitchison Airpro AP 30-24T to its drill lineup.
Aitchison AirPro zero-tillage seed drills have a loyal following, with the 4.8 and 6.0m units forming the backbone of sales for ten years.
Now comes the new ASP-8140, a 6m folding version fitted with European sourced distribution and a locally designed e-drive monitoring system offering 150mm spacing. Also in view is a 3.0m rigid unit configured to drill 24 rows at 125mm spacing.
As with previous models, the drilling unit/toolbar takes the form of a leading disc gang to promote entry and cut trash, followed by double-coil spring tines with a slimline point and an inverted tee boot.
The vibrations induced by the spring coils are said to create a shattering action that leaves a tilth behind each leg for zero-till operations.
The toolbar has a three-section chassis that allows contour following as each section works independently to follow its own course.
Twin seed and fertiliser bins mounted on the forward chassis allow the unit to be configured for seed-only or seed and fertiliser. A third bin can be added for small seed or slug bait.
Twin fans for air supply allow each tank to modulate air flow independently to suit the task in hand.
A hydraulic drawbar assembly is easy to set up, a transport width of 2.9m allows easy moving, and large trailing wheels carry the 4400kg tare weight; power requirement is 160hp.
Seed rate and monitoring is by the e-drive system that offers easy calibration and seed rate adjustment on the move. Displays show the operator details of area sown, sowing rate, ground speed, bin levels and fan speeds, and jobs-done data can easily be transferred to the farm computer.
Options include a rear tyre packer for consolidation, a rear chain harrow for covering, and a mounting point for a crane to lift bulk bags.
Fonterra has reduced its forecast 2026/27 Farmgate Milk Price.
New Zealand dairy farmers are set to be the first in the world to receive access to a new digital physical milk pricing tool that enables them to fix the price for their physical milk.
State farmer Pāmu is opening its farm gates this summer in an effort to give the rural sector the opportunity to see how large-scale, multi-system farming is delivering productivity and profitability across New Zealand.
A five-year study has found that the cost of reducing emissions without technology may be significant and unsustainable for Northland dairy farmers.
DairyNZ says Waikato farmers need certainty on Plan Change 1, but they say that certainty must be matched with practical, workable rules and a clear transition that doesn't get ahead of the new resource management system currently under review.
While the Government has moved quickly to make commercial hauliers' lot easier during the current fuel crisis, they appear to be stuck in the creep box when it comes to the agricultural industry.
OPINION: No one messes around with Winston Peters, more so in a general election year.
OPINION: Staying on Federated Farmers, this week's annual general meeting in Auckland is shaping up to be an interesting one.