Innovations improve the performance of box drills
Changes in crop rotations and the popularity of cover crops have given way to a new generation of box drills.
“We’re seeing an uptick in 30' and larger box drills,” says Mike Hanson, sales manager at Lindstrom Equipment, “for seeding alfalfa with a nurse crop, drilling narrow row soybeans and seeding fall cover crops.”
PRECISE SEEDING
Box drills with large seed hoppers, electronic monitoring systems and improved disk openers now compete with acre-eating air seeders.
“We contend that box drills are more precise than air seeders,” says Blake Bergkamp, Great Plains research agronomist. “Seeds bouncing in the delivery tubes on air seeders makes seed spacing erratic. Box drills meter the seed closer to the seed furrow. Our new BD7600 box drill uses an extremely accurate two-piece groove and chevron seed meter design.”
Kuhn’s 9400NT box drill features helical-spiral-flute metering rolls.
“The spiral flute design reduces the ‘pulsing’ of seeds you get with straight-fluted rolls,” says Ben Craker, Kuhn sales manager, “especially when you’re seeding at low rates and the rolls are turning slowly.”
Seeding innovations used on planters have migrated to box drills. Great Plains’ BD7600 box drill offers hydraulic drive, which allows section control and variable-rate seeding. Landoll’s 5000-Series box drills feature pneumatic down pressure.
“Pneumatic down pressure helps keep the seeds at the same depth for even emergence,” says Jamie Meier, Landoll sales manager. “Our double disk openers also have hold down strips that run beside the openers to firm the soil and maintain the trench.”
John Deere transplanted technology from their air seeding products to its 1590 No-Till drill. An in-cab rocker switch adjusts population on the go. ProSeries openers have narrow seed boots, few lubrication points and better press wheels for solid seed-to-soil contact.
SECRET TO GOOD STANDS
Calibration is still key to accurate seeding. Kuhn’s Premia and 9400NT box drills have a built-in calibration system to catch seed from every meter in pans, not just from a few rows.
“Improved genetics and seed coatings make small grain seed more expensive,” Hanson says, “so calibration is the secret to good, economical stands with box drills.”
