A Western Australian manufacturer best known for its bulk trailers for trucks has released a 24.38-metre (80-foot) seeding bar.
Gnowangerup-based Duraquip says its new Seed Storm bar has undergone rigorous testing and assessment during the past 10 months.
Company director, Garry Richardson, said the Seed Storm was aimed at large-scale croppers.
"The 80-foot seeding bar market is growing, there are farmers out there who want to get more done and we now have tractors that can pull these machines," he said.
"Farmers are chasing efficiency. Times and seasons are changing to the point that what was once considered a good start date for seeding has now become a finish date.
"We wanted to build a bar that would perform well in whatever conditions it had to work in and get a lot of crop in fast."
The Seed Storm comes in 10.6m (35ft) to 24.38 (80ft) bar options and 25.4cm (10 inch) to 30.4 (12in) spacing options
It folds up to 7.5m for transport, has a retractable tyne system and a single lift cylinder controlling the whole frame.
"This has been 10 months of development, with two machines in the field, an 80ft and a 60ft, each covering about 4000 hectares with minimal issues," Mr Richardson said.
"One thing we want to eliminate is uneven depth control. We developed a single cylinder hydraulic lift system which mechanically maintains the frame level 100 per cent of the time.
"The Seed Storm has a strong frame but we made it flexible enough so it would avoid cracking. It also has a floating drawbar for contour-following ability and excellent fore and aft frame stability.
"The Seed Storm 80ft bar features 20 large diameter, high flotation wheels to keep it rolling with ease and offer excellent flotation across deep sandy or wet soils.
"Trash flow is maximised as all wheels sit clear of the seeding area, situated in front and behind the tyne ranks. This ensures the maximum possible trash flow through the machine without drag up around wheels.
"The main frame uses long-lasting Gar-Max bushes throughout, making it virtually greaseless," Mr Richardson said.
Duraquip plans a limited production run for 2021 before full production the following year and has appointed McIntosh and Son, Redcliffe, WA, as exclusive dealers.