Weaving GD demo

I more and more think the Seed Hawk is the future drill here after the modified CO4 drill one day must give up.
It is one of the only tine drills with separate precise depth control on each row. It has the placed granular fertilizer facility which gives access to more choices of fertilizers, and is easier to work with than liquid (blocked nozzles etc.). It has a simple construction, that is easy to maintain.
Seed is placed in clean soil under the straw.
Setting high stubble at harvest and drilling between rows limits the chopped straw problem for the new crop and reduces hide places for slugs. Off course stripper header and disc drill is an option too. Hairpinning in the autumn by normal stubble height is really at problem for disc drill (except the CS!).
Slow speed at drilling must be a must with the Seed Hawk (reduced wear and diesel) - this means a wider drill like a 6m instead of 4 m with the same HP in front and same capacity.
Stones: hopefully no stone picking with a disc drill, but there is surely less and less her after no-till was introduced and narrow tines on 25cm rows. But stones is really hard stuff for discs and bearings, and reduces life time for the parts heavily!
 

Bill Bill

New Member
we'll today I have had the GD on demo, got the sumo dts on Monday.

Well back to the GD drill.......

I drilled spring wheat into some variable soil, limestone brash at the bottum of the hill then onto some wet high magnesium clay on the hill side. The previous crop was winter wheat sprayed off due to black grass..

I am not a disc drill person, and so I was not expecting alot, but I was very impressed by what it did in less than ideal conditions. I fact I would say that not a lot else would have been Able to go, and it placed the seed evenly and in the right place. the flap of soil covered over the seed and it was quite tilthy below the seed. We played about with the pressure and it could put no end of pressure on if needed be.

I think I would be seriously annoyed if I had bought a jd750a and spent a load modifying it to try and close the slot when you can get one of these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hi Willy,
Do you think based on your direct experience with Weaving GD that you find that drill as real No till machine? Also I'm curious to know your opinion about hair pinning effect and your view on Weaving GD how mange this problem.
Thanks
Bill
 

willy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Rutland
Yes regards to no til. It has had some real dry hard ground to go into this august and into a thick Matt of straw and it's up and looks good.

Hair pinning, is not really to bad, I see odd bits but literally odd bits, but because of the disc angle it seems less of a problem than a vertical for some reason. I am only really getting to grips with it now. As some crops I drilled I wasn't really sure if it had done a good enough (little bit of soil fracturing when really dry) but actually it's come fine, also depth has taken a bit of getting used to. And we have now marked all counters behind the wheels, and often leave them in a wee bit deeper.
 

Bill Bill

New Member
Yes regards to no til. It has had some real dry hard ground to go into this august and into a thick Matt of straw and it's up and looks good.

Hair pinning, is not really to bad, I see odd bits but literally odd bits, but because of the disc angle it seems less of a problem than a vertical for some reason. I am only really getting to grips with it now. As some crops I drilled I wasn't really sure if it had done a good enough (little bit of soil fracturing when really dry) but actually it's come fine, also depth has taken a bit of getting used to. And we have now marked all counters behind the wheels, and often leave them in a wee bit deeper.

Thanks for quick responce Willy,
How Weaving GD drill putting together seed and fertilizer together? Very important for me to know it. Also to ask you, is there a system who is making depth control hydro-electronic control. Do you know what is the angle of seeding disc?
Thanks, Bill
 

Cutlerstom

Member
Arable Farmer
Yes regards to no til. It has had some real dry hard ground to go into this august and into a thick Matt of straw and it's up and looks good.

Hair pinning, is not really to bad, I see odd bits but literally odd bits, but because of the disc angle it seems less of a problem than a vertical for some reason. I am only really getting to grips with it now. As some crops I drilled I wasn't really sure if it had done a good enough (little bit of soil fracturing when really dry) but actually it's come fine, also depth has taken a bit of getting used to. And we have now marked all counters behind the wheels, and often leave them in a wee bit deeper.
Wîlly, do you grow second cereals? And if so, do you rake?
 

willy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Rutland
Thanks for quick responce Willy,
How Weaving GD drill putting together seed and fertilizer together? Very important for me to know it. Also to ask you, is there a system who is making depth control hydro-electronic control. Do you know what is the angle of seeding disc?
Thanks, Bill

Not sure but my neighbour has just had s liquid kit fitted to the drill.2 saddle tanks fitted by Trevor tappin.

Depth control is manual via a pin. Would be nice to have hydro electric though.

Not sure of the angle I will find out
 

Bill Bill

New Member
Yes regards to no til. It has had some real dry hard ground to go into this august and into a thick Matt of straw and it's up and looks good.

Hair pinning, is not really to bad, I see odd bits but literally odd bits, but because of the disc angle it seems less of a problem than a vertical for some reason. I am only really getting to grips with it now. As some crops I drilled I wasn't really sure if it had done a good enough (little bit of soil fracturing when really dry) but actually it's come fine, also depth has taken a bit of getting used to. And we have now marked all counters behind the wheels, and often leave them in a wee bit deeper.

Thanks for quick responce Willy,
How Weaving GD drill putting together seed and fertilizer together? Very important for me to know it. Also to ask you, is there a system who is making depth control hydro-electronic control. Do you know what is the angle of seeding disc?
Thanks, Bill
Not sure but my neighbour has just had s liquid kit fitted to the drill.2 saddle tanks fitted by Trevor tappin.

Depth control is manual via a pin. Would be nice to have hydro electric though.

Not sure of the angle I will find out

I see a on pictures inside on opener a hydro cylinder, as I understand it function is to lift and low opener and not related to control leveling seeding dept in a soil. Right?
 

willy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Rutland
Yes that justs lifts all coulters out of work, its the wheels that control depth.

I have been through dd(hard as nails). Through to sub soiled and disced after sewage sludge. All seems good, but did have to alter seeding depth for the different scenarios.
 

kiwi

Member
I have been most interested in the comments about the weaving gd. Having no access here in New Zealand to one working I wonder if someone could answer some questions about it. We have had a Dale seedhawk drill since 2003 which has been successful and prior to that hired a cross slot drill but had trouble with disc stall with that drill.
1. We see a huge benefit from granulated fert placement in the spring in dry conditions, how do weaving gd operators deal with that?
2. How well does the drill work sowing small seeds at consistent depth e.g brassicas and clover Seeds?
3. I imagine that seed vigour is very important as with the cross slot?
4. Is it a high wear machine?
5. Is there any smearing of the slot in damp soil below the seed?
Our Dale drill as I said has been successful but in high straw loads we have to have no dampness on the straw when drilling which some days can hold up operations and of course it is higher disturbance . The disturbance means seed vigour isn't as important as with disc drills but we do get higher weed seed disturbance.
 

Cutlerstom

Member
Arable Farmer
1.I believe there is an option for a split hopper for fertiliser placement. I only have the stocks applicator which I've used for primary p or slug pellets.
2.I drill OSR with it and I wouldn't say placement of small seed is any different from large seed. Just back off the fan speed. However I would say seed placement is the weakest point of the drill. It's better going slowly, but with nothing to firm the seed in the slot you do get some seed at different depths, with the majority at the required depth.
3. Don't know, but I guess vigour is important with any drill
4. Wear will depend on soils and season. I've done 1000 acres with my 4.8m and not close to needing any wearing metal yet
5. Smearing. Because the gd is so good at closing the slot you can go when perhaps you shouldn't...in heavy clay and wetter than ideal the you can get some smearing of the slot. However, in my limited time of it so far this doesn't seem to cause any problem at all. If you are more patient than I am then you can avoid this issue! It's no different from any other disc drill in that respect. Or cross slot for that matter! If it's dry with cross slot you can get some surface distruption, and if it's wet the seeding boot will create a smear. That's life. But it's nothing counterproductive to seedling growth
 

Richard III

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
CW5 Cheshire
I have been most interested in the comments about the weaving gd. Having no access here in New Zealand to one working I wonder if someone could answer some questions about it. We have had a Dale seedhawk drill since 2003 which has been successful and prior to that hired a cross slot drill but had trouble with disc stall with that drill.
1. We see a huge benefit from granulated fert placement in the spring in dry conditions, how do weaving gd operators deal with that?
2. How well does the drill work sowing small seeds at consistent depth e.g brassicas and clover Seeds?
3. I imagine that seed vigour is very important as with the cross slot?
4. Is it a high wear machine?
5. Is there any smearing of the slot in damp soil below the seed?
Our Dale drill as I said has been successful but in high straw loads we have to have no dampness on the straw when drilling which some days can hold up operations and of course it is higher disturbance . The disturbance means seed vigour isn't as important as with disc drills but we do get higher weed seed disturbance.

I've not drilled much small seed with mine to comment on really shallow drilling. When drilling wheat and beans I find I have to drill slightly deeper than I normally would to get all the seed in the bottom of the trench, otherwise some of the seed gets left part way up, as @Cutlerstom says. In practice, at plant emergence I can see no real difference between either normal or slightly deeper depth setting.

The lower face of the slot is probably smeared a little in the wet, but the slot is lifted and broken out on the other side, I've seen nothing to worry me so far.

Interesting what you say about seed vigour, I've not considered that. The lack of soil disturbance does mean very little soil mineralisation, so in marginal conditions starter fert is needed, or alternatively park it up and get the tine drill out. I now use a slightly higher seed rate, as I know early growth will be slow.

I see significantly more trash left on the soil surface with the drill, as virtually no soil is thrown around on the surface at all. Just a small amount of soil contamination seems to accelerate trash decomposition quite a lot IMO. I like to see the trash left on the surface, so it is a positive for me.
 

kiwi

Member
Thankyou both for your great replies . In terms of fertiliser, are you both just broadcasting fert or do you have slurry in your systems. We sometimes have very low rainfall when our crops are emerging in the spring and find it necessary to place ,rather than broadcast fertiliser . We find a mix of DAP and Sulpate of ammonia at a total of 250kgs / ha gives us the best crops so that is where seed fert separation comes into play.
How would you get that rate of fertiliser on safely with the weaving gd?
Have you noticed a big reduction in weed emergence?
What sort of speeds are you talking to get accurate seed placement?
We found the cross slot in some circumstances created more disturbance that resulted in fine soil susceptible to wind blow so the weaving looks in the pictures i have seen a much safer option.
Do you know of others sowing grass seed with clover with the gd?
 

Cutlerstom

Member
Arable Farmer
Thankyou both for your great replies . In terms of fertiliser, are you both just broadcasting fert or do you have slurry in your systems. We sometimes have very low rainfall when our crops are emerging in the spring and find it necessary to place ,rather than broadcast fertiliser . We find a mix of DAP and Sulpate of ammonia at a total of 250kgs / ha gives us the best crops so that is where seed fert separation comes into play.
How would you get that rate of fertiliser on safely with the weaving gd?
Have you noticed a big reduction in weed emergence?
What sort of speeds are you talking to get accurate seed placement?
We found the cross slot in some circumstances created more disturbance that resulted in fine soil susceptible to wind blow so the weaving looks in the pictures i have seen a much safer option.
Do you know of others sowing grass seed with clover with the gd?
I don't know how you would get the fert/seed separation as it all goes down the same tube. That is where the cross slot is brilliant. I have seen a big reduction in weed germination, especially when drilling spring crops. Last year I didn't need any herbicide in my spring beans drilled with gd direct. I drilled some after cultivation and there was a big weed burden on those.
I have found that 8kph is about the maximum speed you can do if you want true zero disturbance. If you go faster the disc creates some throw, and also more seed gets flicked out.
what are you drilling the grass seed into? If it's reseeding grass ley then it would be no problem. However I have found drilling linseed into wheat stubble a challenge as to cut the straw you need to drill at depth. But then the linseed was too deep. Drill to shallow and there is more hairpinning as the disc is not cutting deep enough to cut through if that makes sense. If you know it's going to rain behind the drill it's easy!
 

Richard III

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
CW5 Cheshire
Thankyou both for your great replies . In terms of fertiliser, are you both just broadcasting fert or do you have slurry in your systems. We sometimes have very low rainfall when our crops are emerging in the spring and find it necessary to place ,rather than broadcast fertiliser . We find a mix of DAP and Sulpate of ammonia at a total of 250kgs / ha gives us the best crops so that is where seed fert separation comes into play.
How would you get that rate of fertiliser on safely with the weaving gd?
Have you noticed a big reduction in weed emergence?
What sort of speeds are you talking to get accurate seed placement?
We found the cross slot in some circumstances created more disturbance that resulted in fine soil susceptible to wind blow so the weaving looks in the pictures i have seen a much safer option.
Do you know of others sowing grass seed with clover with the gd?

I'm in a cool, damp area of the UK, and my only use of fert down the spout would be 40kg/Ha of DAP for drilling OSR or wheat into a cold soil.

My drilling speeds are between 8 and 11 KPH. Seed placement is fine at higher speeds, I slow down when soil disturbance increases too much. I have fairly light soils mainly, I suspect @Cutlerstom 's soils are heavier than mine.
 

Cutlerstom

Member
Arable Farmer
I'm in a cool, damp area of the UK, and my only use of fert down the spout would be 40kg/Ha of DAP for drilling OSR or wheat into a cold soil.

My drilling speeds are between 8 and 11 KPH. Seed placement is fine at higher speeds, I slow down when soil disturbance increases too much. I have fairly light soils mainly, I suspect @Cutlerstom 's soils are heavier than mine.
90% of my farmed area are hanslope series clays. I find if it's a bit wet (probably too wet!) the discs pinch some wet soil and throw it out the back flicking some seed with it
 

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