Horsch pronto and DD

Muddyboots · Apr 26, 2015

After much thought and reading ( especially on tff ) i am going to try some DD spring crops into oil radish cc. The question i want to ask all the devoted DD'ers on here is would i be successful using our existing Pronto with the cultivation disks out and just using the disc coulters. I am on v light land and would be gratful for opinions.

RTK Farmer · Apr 26, 2015

Not sure what kg down force a Pronto has but it would be a shame to have a failure in yr one due to wrong equipment. Van you find someone local with the correct drill to do the job for you?

Muddyboots · Apr 26, 2015

RTK Farmer said:
Not sure what kg down force a Pronto has but it would be a shame to have a failure in yr one due to wrong equipment. Van you find someone local with the correct drill to do the job for you?

I would hope to get enough down force as its only sand really. I dont know of anyone who DD's in the area as most are still plough based so i think trying the pronto is my only option.
Has anyone else used a cultivator drill like this and could it be successful?

clbarclay · Apr 26, 2015

Try a dry run to see how far the discs can penetrate and whether it leaves an open slot or would cover the seed.

Muddyboots · Apr 26, 2015

clbarclay said:
Try a dry run to see how far the discs can penetrate and whether it leaves an open slot or would cover the seed.

That will be the only way, just thought that someone might have tried it. I know people on here have done it with vaddys but it wasn't a great success.

Jim Bullock · Apr 26, 2015

I have seen a Pronto with straight discs somewhere ....which converts into a drill very similar to our Kuhn. If you are on light land it will work OK...
Off topic: Do not forget all seed needs a bit of tilth around it to allow it to germinate and grow and this spring we have direct drilled (Kuhn Triple Disc) spring beans into cover crops which were still quite wet now the slots have dried out and opened up...where we used our tined drill which created some tilth (and now another grass weed germination) the beans are getting away much better. I can see a Crosslot on the horizon..!

Muddyboots · Apr 26, 2015

Jim Bullock said:
I have seen a Pronto with straight discs somewhere ....which converts into a drill very similar to our Kuhn. If you are on light land it will work OK...
Off topic: Do not forget all seed needs a bit of tilth around it to allow it to germinate and grow and this spring we have direct drilled (Kuhn Triple Disc) spring beans into cover crops which were still quite wet now the slots have dried out and opened up...where we used our tined drill which created some tilth (and now another grass weed germination) the beans are getting away much better. I can see a Crosslot on the horizon..!

Thanks for the advice Jim. I cant see slot closure being a problem on our sands so looks like it might work. My plan was to drill next years peas like this into a sprayed off radish in the hope that the dead radish stalks will hold up the peas! - well thats the theory anyway!

MNBVCXZ · Apr 26, 2015

Have seen it done very successfully, winter oats sprayed off then direct drilled sp oats, no problems. Sandy clay loam.

MNBVCXZ · Apr 26, 2015

Jim Bullock said:
I have seen a Pronto with straight discs somewhere ....which converts into a drill very similar to our Kuhn. If you are on light land it will work OK...
Off topic: Do not forget all seed needs a bit of tilth around it to allow it to germinate and grow and this spring we have direct drilled (Kuhn Triple Disc) spring beans into cover crops which were still quite wet now the slots have dried out and opened up...where we used our tined drill which created some tilth (and now another grass weed germination) the beans are getting away much better. I can see a Crosslot on the horizon..!

Aren't you meant to be an old hat at this DD thing Jim, isn't patience one of the things we are all told when direct drilling? Or are the cover crops holding the moisture? I assume the beans are still OK.

Jim Bullock · Apr 26, 2015

MNBVCXZ said:
Aren't you meant to be an old hat at this DD thing Jim, isn't patience one of the things we are all told when direct drilling? Or are the cover crops holding the moisture? I assume the beans are still OK.

There was a time when "I though" I knew what I was doing with DD...but with time I realise I need to learn a lot more..! With the benefit of hindsight I probably wouldn't have drilled my beans into the cover crops for another week.. but what's hindsight worth. The beans have started to emerge over the weekend and if I can keep the pigeons off and the slug pellets work then should not be too much of a problem.

SorenIlsoe · Apr 26, 2015

Muddyboots said:
After much thought and reading ( especially on tff ) i am going to try some DD spring crops into oil radish cc. The question i want to ask all the devoted DD'ers on here is would i be successful using our existing Pronto with the cultivation disks out and just using the disc coulters. I am on v light land and would be gratful for opinions.

Pronto was direct drilling spring barley here in 2009 together with other drills.
The result was as good as the real DD machines, but: I am sure it will not live long, if it has to run many hectares. It is not dimensioned for it in the bearings. It can be done for smaller areas, but if it will be used only for DD it will be no success in the long time. But for your test there will be no problem on light and medium soil.
You can see it here: http://ilsoe.info/2009.htm
And here is more pictures: http://ilsoe.info/demo_april2009.pdf

SilliamWhale · Apr 27, 2015

MNBVCXZ said:
Aren't you meant to be an old hat at this DD thing Jim, isn't patience one of the things we are all told when direct drilling? Or are the cover crops holding the moisture? I assume the beans are still OK.

I think jim needs to change from a triple disc because by the nature of their design using depth and closing wheel as same thing, the slots can open up again. I could see this after 2 years of using one and got rid.

Muddyboots · Apr 27, 2015

MNBVCXZ said:
Have seen it done very successfully, winter oats sprayed off then direct drilled sp oats, no problems. Sandy clay loam.

Thanks, thats good to hear.

Muddyboots · Apr 27, 2015

SorenIlsoe said:
Pronto was direct drilling spring barley here in 2009 together with other drills.
The result was as good as the real DD machines, but: I am sure it will not live long, if it has to run many hectares. It is not dimensioned for it in the bearings. It can be done for smaller areas, but if it will be used only for DD it will be no success in the long time. But for your test there will be no problem on light and medium soil.
You can see it here: http://ilsoe.info/2009.htm
And here is more pictures: http://ilsoe.info/demo_april2009.pdf

Good photos there , no it will only be on smallish hectares mainly into over wintered cc to see how we get on!

Cutlerstom · Apr 27, 2015

Muddyboots said:
After much thought and reading ( especially on tff ) i am going to try some DD spring crops into oil radish cc. The question i want to ask all the devoted DD'ers on here is would i be successful using our existing Pronto with the cultivation disks out and just using the disc coulters. I am on v light land and would be gratful for opinions.

I tried this year with my Horsch express, which is the same as the pronto, only mounted. I am on heavy land, and because there was loads (too much) moisture, penetration was ok for barley, but on my soil type it was slot closure that was the problem. I had no surface tilth for the covering harrows to work. I tried the cultivating discs in, but they just brought up wet mud. I think if you are on very light land you will be fine, the seed tabs will push the seed into the bottom of the slot. I destroyed the oil radish a good 5 weeks before drilling on the advice of frontier, but wish I'd tried it on the green.

Horsch pronto and DD

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