Stellar support for Cropsy
New Zealand-based agritech startup Cropsy Technologies has raised $1.7 million in an extended and oversubscribed capital raise, including support from United States investor Seraph Group.
The Giltrap-Duncan Vineyard Seeder, offered in 1.8 or 1.5m working widths, is the ideal solution for drilling such crops. With an overall width of just 1835mm and a length of 1610mm, the machines feature a linkage mounted hitch that ensures they are able to achieve the tight turns into the space between rows.
A dual box/hopper, each of 209 litres capacity, allows the use of seed and fertiliser, with easy access for filling via a rear-mounted foot board. Using a gravityfeed, the hoppers feature stainless-steel agitator shafts, that feed a mechanically driven peg tooth roller system that regulates seed and fertiliser rates via a mechanical gearbox. At the machine’s lateral extremities, robust guarding protects the gearbox, side handles and setting mechanism from becoming entangled in the vines.
Set up to deliver a 180mm row spacing, the 1.8m seeder features 10 rows, with the drilling element configured with double discs to cut into the hard, dry and often stony conditions found in a vineyard. This layout offers the ability to establish a cover crop in a single pass without any pre-cultivation. Although able to perform without press wheels, Giltrap Sales Manager, Matt Moodie notes, “most users specify the press wheel option, as it ensures good soil to seed contact for a quicker germination, particularly in drier conditions”.
Weighing in at 873kg, the 1.8m seeder is easily handled and powered by a tractor of 50 or 60hp, while purchasers are also able to customise the seeder to suit individual conditions.
Users specifying the electric drive system also benefit from being able to use the Duncan app, which allows operators to set machines with previous settings, and to carry out calibration checks from a portable hand-held device or tablet.
