Kits Convert Field Cultivators Into No-Till Air Seeders

Kits Convert Field Cultivators Into No-Till Air Seeders CULTIVATORS Cultivators (58C) 19-5-29 Peacock Holdings, Rosthern, Sask., offers a "precision seeder" for any heavy-duty cultivator that has a 400-lb. or more trip. It consists of a knife that bolts onto the front of the cultivator shank, a V-shaped double seed shoe that bolts on behind the shank and makes 5-in. paired rows, hoses to double shoot liquid or dry fertilizer or anhydrous ammonia, and a pair of press wheels. Seed is placed 1 1/2 in. above the fertilizer and 2 in. to the side of the trench made by the cultivator knife. "The press wheels mount on sealed bearings and follow the field contour to provide precise seed placement," says Ernie Luchsinger. "There's only a 7-in. span from the tips of the shoe to the press wheels which helps maintain very precise depth control. If the cultivator shank trips, the seeding attachment pivots out of the way to avoid striking the cultivator frame. "These units work on any deep till cultivator with 12-in. or greater spacing. However, we recommend 15 in. spacing for more trash clearance. By simply loosening a bolt you can slide the seed shoe up to add or remove spacers to set seed depth. Downpressure on the press wheels is controlled by a spring-loaded hinged arm that can be controlled by adjusting the postition of a bolt." Sells for $365 per shank (Canadian). Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Pea-cock Holdings Ltd., Box 189, Rosthern, Sask., Canada SOK 3R0 (ph 306 232-4212). Poirier & Sons double shoot opener bolts on in place of the cultivator shovel. It consists of a front knife that digs a trench for seed and a back knife where dry or liquid fertilizer is applied. A tube can be attached to the back knife to also apply anhydrous ammonia. The back knife is offset 1 in. to the side. As it digs a trench, it pushes soil against the seed to eliminate the need for press wheels. "It works good in wet soil and in heavy stubble conditions because it disturbs only a narrow area," says Gerard Poirier. "The front knife is 3/4 in. wide and the back knife 5/8 in. wide. Fertilizer is applied at the same depth as seed but off to the side. Set screws are used to adjust depth of the back knife. If your field cultivator is equipped with packer wheels you can place fertilizer deeper than the seed by applying fertilizer behind the front knife and seed behind the back knife. Both knives have carbide tips so they'll last a long time. They've been proven in rocky conditions." Sells for $200 per shank (Canadian). Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gerald Poirier & Sons, Box 129, Antler, Sask., Canada SOC 0E0 (ph 306 452-6116 or 204 662-4474). Melranda Mfg. Ltd. offers a completely self-contained unit that bolts on in place of the cultivator shank. It consists of a shank, replace-able 3/4-in. seed knife equipped with carbide tip, adjustable fertilizer knife, and shank-mounted press wheel. Liquid or dry fertilizer is placed 1 in. to the side of the seed. It requires a mini-mum 425-lb. trip to keep both knives in the ground. The depth of the fertilizer knife can be adjusted by changing the position of two steel plates that press against the knife. Seed depth is controlled by raising or lowering the cultivator frame. Both the seed knife and fertilizer knife are backsloped allowing them to ride over rocks. The press wheels can be adjusted from 25 to 75 lbs. pressure. Sells for $340 per row (Canadian). Contact: FARM SHOW Followup., Melranda Mfg. Ltd., Box 54, Durban, Manitoba, Canada ROL OPO (ph 204 539-2563).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.