Finding the right tool for the job knows no borders when it comes to seeding equipment.
There’s any number of seeding rigs available in Australia from all corners of the globe and now there’s one more - a Canadian made Pillar imported by Dubbo cropper, Tom Harvey.
Looking for a double shoot, single disc drill that would manage heavy residues and provide deep fertiliser banding, the Pillar appeared on Mr Harvey’s horizon a year or two ago and has already created interest in agriculture's Twitter and Facebook etherworld.
Managing local conditions and handling big residues on minimum or no-tillage was the foundation of Mr Harvey’s quest and he is confident the Pillar is the right disc for his operation.
Built to 10 metres to suit his track system, the Pillar maintains the toolbar on the ground via a parallel lifting sub-frame which raises and lowers three gangs of ground contour following single disc openers.
The machine has a floating hitch to maintain wheel contact while a walking beam built into the back of the centre section manages torque loads on the frame when the Pillar is in transport and adds to contour following when it is seeding.
Pillar claims the opener design provides excellent trash clearance, eliminates hairpinning in the seedbed slot and provides precise seed and fertiliser placement - the latter banded below and to the side of the seed trench.
The prepared seed bed bed is about 35mm wide and there is a 37mm vertical and 32mm horizontal separation between the seed and fertiliser.
The patented design seed boot carves a path preparing the bed while the disc cuts the furrow for the fertiliser meaning hairpinning is minimal and if it does occur, does so in the fertiliser cut only.
Mr Harvey said he had tried all manner of seeders - disc and tyne, before settling on the Pillar which was delivered in February and has hit the ground sowing an oat cover crop on 10mm rain this month before heading into canola.
He reckoned there’s not a disc on the market that allows safe double shooting in big residues without hairpinning.
“The disc will cut like a normal disc but there's been a lot of research into correct disc size, and angles to minimise hairpinning,” he said.
While the disc is set with a compound angle like others, the unique feature is the scraper or opener on the side of the disc.
“It removes any straw in its way and make its own little shelf so the seed is accurately placed.”
“The disc angle tends to make it bite in rather than ride out - which some manufacturers correct by increasing the toolbar weight - which you can get away with in ideal conditions without heavy stubble loads, but what you can’t do in those circumstances is double shoot with high rates of fertiliser in one pass.
“I’m all about minimising how many times I go across paddocks and a lot of responses to getting fertiliser on is to then mid-row band or do multiple passes,” he said.
“I want to put fertiliser where it needs it, not where the weeds need it - that’s a major component of this.”
The striking thing about the Pillar is its simplicity. The disc, gauge wheel and packer wheel are neatly designed and a coil spring provides the contour following.
“I’m trying to keep it simple and the Pillar row units are very simple - they looked even too basic to do the job, but it’s surprising what it does,” Mr Harvey said.
He said his only question was whether it would handle the stubble and his soil conditions.
“I am pretty confident we are on a winner,” he said.
“I hope to be sowing canola into some pretty heavy stubbles that have been knocked over and still getting good placement.
The Pillar was trialled in dry conditions in five to seven tonne Gregory wheat stubble after assembly and produced the results expected.
That residue handling ability will allow stubbles to be cut higher meaning less straw processing at harvest and improved harvester throughput.
He has also sown lucerne with oats at 12mm with very uniform results into a cow compacted paddock.
“There’s always risk in doing something different,” he said.
“I know I’m out on a limb but I hadn’t seen anything like this and I’m hoping it performs like I’m sure it will.”
With a Dubbo bound road splitting the property, there’s sure to be plenty of interest and some free advice on the new rig.
Contact Tom Harvey 0428 972 277