Friday, 15 February 2019 12:24

No-till drill gets an upgrade

Written by  Mark Daniel
The Pro-Series openers are said to help increase performance and can also be fitted to existing machines. The Pro-Series openers are said to help increase performance and can also be fitted to existing machines.

The John Deere 750A All-Till drill is a popular choice in New Zealand, offering high outputs in conventional, minimal and no-till regimes and precise seed placement.

In the northern hemisphere, the limited disturbance created by the drill is also favoured by farmers trying to beat blackgrass infestations.

The company reports having sold two million units globally. 

At the heart of the drill, single disc openers are used to great effect.

For the 2019 season, the introduction of PRO-Series openers will help increase performance and these can also be fitted to existing machines.

Designed to cause less disturbance, more consistent seeding depth, better seed to soil contact and an improved slot closure, the new units will find favour with existing users. 

The re-design starts with a narrower seed boot that fits more snugly to the disc, creating less soil-throw and providing 40% more consistent seeding depth. Wear rates are also improved as the seed boot is now protected more by the opener disc, so subjected to less soil contact.

Also, the press-wheel has a narrower section and larger diameter, allowing it to fit into the seed trench more precisely. 

With a double-row bearing set-up, the layout is said to help seed-to-soil contact and more consistent depth, leading to more even emergence and a potential for higher yields. 

At the rear of the unit, a more aggressive serrated closing wheel is said to be 50% more effective.

Further design changes see the seed bolt mounting replaced by a flag pin that stops the boot from moving, improving accuracy and reducing wear. The seed tab that stops seeds bouncing out of the trench now fits the contour of the trench more precisely and offers a doubled service life. 

The manufacturer says discs can be changed in about half the time of previous units, so this helps to reduce maintenance schedules.

New control systems offer full ISOBUS compliance with John Deere and third-party displays. These also offer the ability to manage section control, overdosing and a pre-dosing function. 

In previous versions, when tramlining, the same amount of seed was diverted to adjacent openers leading to over-dosing in these rows. The new software maintains the correct seed rate over the whole field. 

In addition, a new pre-dosing function prevents gaps from a standing start by pre-charging the system at the press of a button

More like this

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy, headquartered in Kingsburg, California.

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the power of satellite technology.

John Deere acquires Sentera to boost smart farming capabilities

While tractors combines and machinery for agriculture and construction is still its key business, John Deere appears to be taking opportunities in the hightech sector via acquisition, with the recent purchase of Sentera, a Minnesota-based company that specialises in equipment for capturing and interpreting aerial images.

Featured

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.

B+LNZ launches AI assistant for farmers

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

A step too far

OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…

Save us from SAFE

OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter