SWEDISH company Väderstad set the world record earlier this year, for most hectares planted in 24 hours, with the Tempo drill.
Not satisfied with having the world’s fastest precision planter, the company is aiming to be the best.
2018 will see new features, including a front-mounted fertiliser hopper and variable rate control technology.
Väderstad, product manager, Joe Read, said the Tempo will now be fitted with a FH 2200 front-mounted fertiliser hopper equipped with twin Fenix III electric metering systems.
“The 2,200 litre hopper can precisely deliver up to 250 kilograms a hectare of fertiliser at speeds up to 15 kilometres an hour,” he said.
Mr Read said the system is engineered to blow the metered fertiliser to the planter with a hydraulic fan, through a transport tube.
The fertiliser is then fed into the distributor head and from their evenly across the coulters.
The sloping front of the hopper ensures good visibility, while its wide opening allows easy filling, he said.
Mr Read said other improvements in 2018 model include the addition of optional hydraulic weight transfer and floating row cleaning systems.
“The ability to increase or reduce pressure on each row unit enables the operator to precisely adjust the machine to field conditions,” he said.
“Thereby ensuring an even seed depth and uniform crop emergence.
“Likewise, the floating row cleaner adapts to suit field conditions.”
Mr Read said each row cleaner is mounted on a parallel linkage.
“The working intensity is easily configured with a spring,” he said.
“The row cleaner is fitted with a self-cleaning rubber wheel, controlling the depth setting of the high quality spiked row cleaner disc.
“With optimised working angles, the floating row cleaners are designed to perfectly match the speed and precision of the Tempo planter.”
Mr Read said a proprietary system in the cab controls all functions of the planter and attached implements.
The planter can also be equipped with a variable rate controller and automatic section control, he said.
World Record
The Väderstad Tempo set the new world record for most hectares planted within 24 hours in April 2017.
Väderstad, sales and marketing director, Mattias Hovnert, said 502 hectares in Hungary were planted, across two paddocks with two varieties of maize.
“This world-record is a clear statement of the enormous capacity and precision of the Väderstad Tempo planter,” he said.
Granular fertiliser and pesticide was also placed with the seed by the planter, which was pulled with a Case IH Magnum CVX 380.
In Australia, Väderstad is available through Landpower.