Eligible Grant - FETF112


Slit seeding

Subject to adequate temperature, moisture is the single most

important element needed for germination.

By cutting a slit in the ground a natural moisture trap is produced

so that seed germination is maximised and the young seedling

is sheltered whilst it anchors its roots directly into the soil so

minimising losses as grazing commences.

If a slit is cut too deep the seedling can fail as it will run out of

energy and if cut too shallow then it can lose out on the

advantages of the slit, therefore good depth control is essential.

Sports fields apart, grass fields are undulating so depth control

is more difficult. Most drills have a sprung loaded system to help

cope with undulations. However the download pressures needed

or a grass drill to do its job reduces the flexibility of these

devices and can severely compromise depth control where there

are ground contours as all the weight can be concentrated over

several coulters.

Auto contour

With auto contour a secondary suspension system is incorporated to increase flexibility.

The drill frames are partitioned into 1m sections and the download

is applied to each by a hydraulic ram. The rams are linked to

each other so download per frame equalises despite undulations.

This is seen by the changing ram positions as the machine goes

down the field and proven by the consistency of the cuts.

Specifications

Options

Over the past few years costs have been rising for all inputs. Economics dictate that grass swards must be productive so reseeding and stitching of existing swards is of great importance.