No-Till Drill Puts Fertilizer Under Seed

No-Till Drill Puts Fertilizer Under Seed PLANTING EQUIPMENT Drills (19) 9-2-25 "Latest ag research says seedlings make better use of fertilizer placed directly beneath the seed," says Joe Miller, Heppner, Ore., manufacturer of a new no-till drill that has exclusive features requested both by researchers and farmers. The drill's most unique feature is its furrow opener which measures 12 in. from front to back and contains both the fertilizer point and seed tube. The fertilizer point is up front, positioned about 2 in. lower than the rear of the opener. It opens the ground and fertilizer is piped to the bottom of the furrow directly behind the point. The seed tube is at the rear of the opener so that, by the time seed drops into the furrow, 2 in. of soil have filled in over the fertilizer. There's no trash-cutting coulter ahead of the openers. Instead, Miller has developed a new straw removal wheel to eliminate trash build-up. The wheels, fitted with lengths of flexible cable "fingers", are chain-driven at a rate that's a little faster than ground speed. They flex when they hit anything solid, yet are stiff enough to drag residue past the opener. The seed row is firmed on both sides by a pair of special steel packer wheels spaced 2 in. apart to help prevent crusting directly over the seed. Scrapers keep the wheels clean. Miller's unique new furrow openers are spring-loaded, anchored to the frame of the drill by heavy-springsthat reset automatically when they hit a rock. The resetting shock is cushioned by plastic pads. "We've been testing it for 2¢ years.It makes use of all the latest research information as well as features farmers tell us they want," Miller told FARM SHOW. "Farmers want a drill they can fix themselves. Nearly all components are off-the-shelf or made from common tubing, angle iron, on steel. Farmers can fix anything on it themselves." The drill comes in 10-ft. sections, with 10-in. spacing. Seed is stored in 25-bu. boxes metered by fluted cups chain-driven off the packer wheels. Seed drops from the metering cups to openers through flexible plastic hose. Seed depth is easily controlled by an adjustable screw on a hydraulic cylinder that lifts the openers. When the openers are lifted, a linkage automatically disengages the seeding system. Liquid fertilizer can be pumped from a 1,000 gal. tank pulled ahead of the drill through plastic hoses to an aluminum manifold on each drill. It then flows through control orifices down to each opener. "The drill is extremely maneuverable," adds Miller. "You can turn within a short 180? radius without lifting the openers. Optional transport wheels tow units between fields on all-pneumatic tires." Miller says the drill plants at speeds of 3 to 4 mph pulled in gangs by a 7020 Deere or a D-5 Caterpillar. The drill, minus the fertilizer tank and hitch, sells for $13,500. For more information, contact: Joe F. Miller, Miller & Sons Welding, Inc., 235 Linden Way, P.O. Box 650, Heppner, Ore. 97836 (ph 503 676-9613).

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