Horsch has updated its line-up of cultivation, drilling and spraying equipment – in addition to some new models – in advance of this year’s Agritechnica show.
The Avatar SD (below) is now available in 3m and 4m working widths. This compact seed drill is claimed to be “ideal for direct seeding or catch crops”. The Avatar’s “low disturbance of the seedbed”, when sowing with the single-disc coulter, is claimed to help prevent black grass from germinating.
Coulter pressure of up to 310kg is intended to boost soil penetration. Horsch claims that the “strong coulter frame eliminates sideways movement”. A press wheel closes the seed furrow and consolidates the seed row.
The Avatar SD uses the existing hopper and metering components from the Pronto DC seed drills. A 2,800L hopper can be replaced with a double-hopper version (3,800L) for grain and fertiliser. A 200L micro-granular unit is available with either hopper version. The machine is controlled and monitored by a standard ISOBUS terminal.
In addition to the rigid version, a folding 4m Express KR (below) is now available with a 3m transport width. The Express KR is described as a “universal, three-point mounted seed drill, with a proven TurboDisc double-disc seed coulter in combination with a Kredo power harrow”.
The Express 4 KR can be operated with a front-mounted 1,600L Partner FT hopper for improved weight distribution. Optional weights are available for the Partner FT (dead weight 700kg) to gain an additional ballast of 360kg, helping to balance the Express KR even when the hopper is empty.
The front hopper can be equipped with an intermediate packer, instead of an additional weight, for better consolidation.
The new Leeb LT ECO sprayer joins the existing CCS (Continuous Cleaning System) and CCS Pro versions and is available in 4,000L, 5,000L and 6,000L capacities with plastic tanks.
The ECO model has mechanical valves at the suction and pressure side, with an electronic display in the filling area and a mechanical PTO-driven piston diaphragm pump.
By contrast, the top-level CCS Pro model uses an electronic system with electrical valves for the suction and pressure sides.
ATP (Adaptive Tyre Pressure) Control is now available on all Leeb sprayers. It automatically controls the tyre pressure, via an ISOBUS terminal, depending on the tank level and other parameters, such as driving on the road or in the field.
This, claims Horsch, enables low pressure and large contact area in the field and high pressure when driving on the road; the desired pressure is set automatically.
Meanwhile, the new 5m and 6m Cruiser XL trailed cultivators (below) fill the gap between the existing three-point linkage mounted models and the 10m and 12m trailed versions. With its six bars, the Cruiser is said to “mix and distribute excellently”.
Its 700mm frame height “ensures even large quantities of organic material don’t pose a problem”.
Available in 6m, 8m and 9m working widths, the new Pronto NT (below) features the “proven” TurboDisc double-disc coulter (at 20cm row spacings) in combination with a compact, leading wavy disc – making it “ideal for mulch and direct seeding”.
Operational speeds are supposedly up to 20kph. Claimed horsepower requirement is low, as the wavy discs cut more easily through organic material and cultivate the soil only in the seed rows.
A 4,000L seed hopper is fitted as standard; a 5,000L double-hopper allows seed and fertiliser to be applied at the same time. A micro-granular unit is also available.
The new Serto SC (below) is a seed drill for bigger farms; it boasts working widths of 10m and 12m. It features an “all-over” tyre packer, combined with a double-disc seed coulter.
Two seed coulters run behind every tyre, with a row spacing of 16.6cm.
The new parallelogram coulter features “large” bearings; Lemken says it was designed to be “very stable and durable”.
The Serto SC has a 6,000L hopper capacity with a 50:50 split, holding either 6,000L of seed or a combination of 3,000L of both seed and fertiliser. The machine folds to a 3m transport width – at the push of a button.
The Terrano GX (below) is a new model in the Terrano family – with 4m to 6m working widths. It includes three and four-bar versions, with a tine spacing between 28.5cm and 31.5cm.
The Terrano GX joins the mounted Terrano FX, the Terrano MT (with two rows of cultivation discs and two tine rows) and the Terrano 10 and 12 FM (10m and 12m respectively).