Kverneland and AgXeed set world record for autonomous ploughing with AgBot in UK
While ploughing appears to become less fashionable than minimal tillage, it remains an important process in many areas.
“The U-Drill’s efficiency is driven by its ability to perform multiple tasks in a single pass, ensuring perfect seed to soil contact for fast germination,” says John Chapman, Power Farming’s cultivation specialist.
Up front, a tyre packer module breaks clods while firming and levelling the soil, enabling accurate depth control of the following cultivation unit. Two rows of independently suspended discs follow directly behind to produce a fine and evenly cultivated soil profile over the drill’s working width.
A second tyre packer roller consolidates the soil in front of the seeding coulters, ensuring accurate depth and placement of the seed. The seeding unit has 32 narrow profile seeding coulters at 12.5cm spacing and coulter pressure adjustable up to 100kg.
A following press wheel consolidates soil to seed contact and provides uniform depth control. Meanwhile, the rear S-shaped seed harrows finally cover the seed.
An optional set-up sees the machine equipped with 24 coulters at 16cm row spacing.
Offering working speeds of up to 15km/h, the 4 m U-Drill has all the features and abilities of its bigger brother. The Eldos system, an electrically driven metering device controlled by Kverneland’s e-com software, is ISOBUS compatible and allows application rates from 1kg/ha to 950kg/ha, dependent on speed.
Important settings such as calibration and in-field adjustments can be controlled from the in-cab display, as can seeding depth, coulter pressure and automatic headland management -- all adjustable on the go.
Automatic section control ensures the metering device stops and starts automatically at the headland mark, ensuring no overlaps and reducing seed and fertiliser costs.
The U-Drill is available as a standard drill or as a seed and fertiliser version dubbed the U-Drill+, both with a hopper capacity of 3000L.
In the case of the U-Drill+, the hopper is divided lengthways in a 40:60 ratio, each fitted with a dedicated metering system. The U+ version can place fertiliser between the rows or alongside the seed.
