World Record Planter

World Record Planter PLANTERS Planters 28-1-5 Big farmers just keep getting bigger, and so does their equipment. No one demonstrates that better than Kevin Anderson, Andover, S. Dak., who set a world record last spring when he planted 1,425 acres of wheat in just 24 hours using a $200,000 planter pulled by a $200,000 Cat Challenger. The 60-ft., 24-row Horsch-Anderson planter was fitted with a 500-bu. tank and a Beeline auto guidance system, and it was filled by a high-speed tender. The air planter plants paired rows 15 in. on center, with openers arranged in four ranks to allow maximum clearance for planting in residue. One key to success of the planter is the opener, which Anderson designed himself. He has been working at perfecting paired row planting for corn and other row crops for several years. With this opener, he can place seed in a diamond pattern in paired rows 8 in. apart and 30 in. on center. This means the paired rows can be harvested with existing combine headers. Anderson's paired row opener is designed to place fertilizer between the paired rows about 2 in. below the seed. He can also use a knife to place anhydrous safely below the seed. Besides the unique opener, Anderson also uses floating discs with no down pressure as closers and firms soil over the row with lugged tires rather than smooth ones. A coulter cutting attachment is available for use in no-till. Anderson sells the Horsch system, which comes from Germany, or he can retrofit an existing planter with his Paired Row Openers for about $120.00 per row. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kevin Anderson, Horsch Anderson, 14118 414th Ave., Andover, S.Dak. 57422 (ph 605 298-5663; email: kanderson@nvc.net; website: www.horschanderson.com).

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