Amazone unveils flagship spreader
With the price of fertiliser still significantly higher than 2024, there is an increased onus on ensuring its spread accurately at the correct rate.
Amazone's new six-metre Cirrus 6003-2 and 6003-2D seed drills are now available with Twin-TeC+ double disc coulters that are said to enable precise and rapid sowing of large areas.
The 380mm diameter high-performance coulters are made of pre-tensioned boron steel for high wear resistance. Fitted on a row spacing of between 12.5cm and 16.6cm, the coulter pressure can be hydraulically adjusted from 15 to 100kg. This ensures accurate contour tracking on hilly terrain and precise seed placement, even with small seeds.
Coulter pressure is adjusted using the pressure relief valve, while working depth is altered using the mechanical crank handles. Depth guidance rollers with running widths of 50, 65 or 80mm can be fitted to match to light, meium or heavy soil conditions. A coulter harrow, with adjustable operating intensity, can be fitted to the wheel carriers of the second coulter row.
CLAAS Harvest Centre product manager Steve Gorman says the new coulters incorporate several technical innovations.
"TwinTeC+ coulters provide reliable operation under all soil types and operating conditions," he explains.
,p>"Even with crusted surfaces, heavy soils or undulating ground, the coulter reliably reaches the placement death. They cut perfet seed furrows with accurate depth at operating speeds of between 10 and 20km/h."
Gorman says the wide spacing between coulters and rows, together with the relatively flat 10-degree pitch of the seeding discs, ensures good throughput and blockage-free operation - even under different conditions.
Alternatively, the Cirrus can be equipped with the existing RoTeC single disc coulters, which are ideal for use on heavy or sticky soils or if there is a high amount of crop residues.
The coulter arm, manufactured from forged steel, thickens at the end and is interlocked with tongue and groove - thereby creating a longer and stronger welding seam. The coulters are attached to the machine frame via a special bearing clampmade of high-strength forged steel.
Embossing on the inside of the clamp prevents the four shock-absorbing rubber cords from moving or twisting. There is also a metal stop preventing the coulter arm from swinging up during road transport.
The disc carrier arms also carry a guide extension, which prevents the seed from jumping within the furrow, a closer that presses the seed into the bottom of the furrow for uniform placement.
Relationships are key to opening new trading opportunities and dealing with some of the rules that countries impose that impede the free flow of trade.
Dawn Meats chief executive Niall Browne says their joint venture with Alliance Group will create “a dynamic industry competitor”.
Tributes have flowed following the death of former Prime Minister and political and business leader, Jim Bolger. He was 90.
A drop in methane targets announced by the Government this month has pleased farmers but there are concerns that without cross-party support, the targets would change once a Labour-led Government is voted into office.
Farmer shareholders of meat processor Alliance have voted in favour of a proposed $270 million joint venture investment by Irish company, Dawn Meats.
The former chair of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and farmer, Doug Leeder, says rural communities' biggest fear right now is the lack of long-term certainty over environmental regulations.
OPINION: Media luvvies at Stuff, the Spinoff and the Granny Herald are spending more time than ever navel-gazing about why…
OPINION: Why does it take Treasury so long to turn around its figures on how the economy is tracking?