Underhaug produces and exports an impressive range of premium agricultural equipment under the well-known brands, Underhaug and GLOBUS.
For over 100 years, it has been manufacturing high quality tools for agriculture, focusing on simple, long-lasting equipment, and is strongly supported by its parent company, BR Industries.
It’s 40 years since Bjørn Rygg, the CEO, started his first company, Randaberg agricultural service. His DNA from growing up on a small farm, is the same DNA that defines the BR Industries Group today which consists of over 30 companies with almost 1,000 employees.
Direct Seed Drill
The Underhaug Direct Seed Drill can sow all kinds of grass seed and most herb seeds. It is the seed size that limits its use. Ordinary grain seed is too large for the feed rollers.
On surface-cultivated grassland, it can be difficult to perform tillage – a direct seed drill is the answer.
Stones just below the surface are not an issue – the spring-loaded seed coulters oscillate freely and slide easily over such obstacles.
The seed drill is also well suited for sowing special seed varieties in existing crops, such as clover in clover-poor meadows.
It is also well-suited to sowing herbs and other vegetable varieties for organic farming.
Golf courses, sports fields and parks
The direct seed drill has proven to be an excellent seed drill for renewing sports fields, golf courses and parks.
The unique seeding units consist of ‘skids’ with two slots with sharp adjustable coulters. This avoids ripping up loose soil, stones and plant residues.
Fairways on several golf courses have been reseeded with great success, and golf was played with no disruption.
For maintenance and rejuvenating of sports fields and golf courses, it may be necessary to cross-sow.
For this type of work, Top Chem recommends a special skid for the seeding units based on its long experience sowing on golf courses.
Unique seed coulters
As previously mentioned, its unique seed coulters consist of ‘skids’ with two slots with sharp adjustable coulters with adjustable ground pressure.
The coulter pressure is adjustable from 10kg upwards by means of a spring on each coulter arm and hydraulic depth wheels (standard equipment on all machines).
Each skid has two longitudinal slots. A hardened steel knife in front of each slot can be adjusted up or down to achieve desired sowing depth.
The seed is dropped straight into the rows created by the sharp coulters. This system has proven to be better than both ordinary coulters.
The adjustable coulters avoid ripping up loose soil, stones, and plant residues.
Machine details
The seed drill is available in four working widths from 1.5m to 3m.
UM7942 has 21 seeding units, with a total of 42 coulters, 42 rows, and a row spacing at 6cm. Working width is 2.5.
UM7950 has 25 seeding units with a total of 50 coulters, 50 rows and a working width of 3m. Otherwise, the four machines are the same.
The knives are adjustable, with a recommended cutting depth of 2.5cm.
Seed hopper
The seed drill is equipped with a seed hopper featuring feed rollers. Each seed hopper has 26, 42, 50 and 66 outlets (1.5, 2.5, 3 or 4m machine), respectively.
The seed rate is set centrally and steplessly from 0 to 50kg/ha (5kg/decare).
The thousand grain mass varies quite a lot, it is recommended to calibrate the seed rate setting before starting the seeding operation.
Speed – capacity
For the metering system with displaceable feed roller, the amount of seed discharged depends on both how long the feed roller is pushed into the housing and on how fast the roller rotates.
If the feed roller rotates too fast, the roller starts to ‘cheat’ because it rotates so fast that the seed does not fill the grooves in the rollers completely. The seed rollers are driven via a chain by a land wheel.
It is not recommended to drive faster with 6-7km/h, which corresponds to 15-17.5da/h for a 2.5m machine and 18-21decare/h for a 3m machine.
Arild: speed and da/h for 4m seeder.
Sowing the seeds of innovation
Top Chem LTD originally known as Hilltop Engineering & Agri Supplies are well known across Ireland for their unique range of dairy hygiene products which are distributed from their premises in both Belturbet in Cavan and Derrylin in Fermanagh.
From dealing with dairy farmers daily the company saw an opportunity in the market for direct seeding equipment.
A thorough study of seeding methods and manufacturers worldwide led them to the Norwegian brand Unerhaug.
Two years after becoming their distributor in both Ireland and Scotland and with over 20 machines sold Top Chem are very pleased with both the build quality and performance of the machines and the level of support from Unerhaug.
The company feels the machine has a key role to play for all farmers seeking to improve grass quality for both grazing and silage production.
For further details please contact Garreth Lunney on +447973429127
+442867742751 (office hours).
