October 2, 2006 - Cereal grain and oil seed producers work hard to efficiently sow seed uniformly, consistently, and at the proper depth for maximum yield potential. John Deere introduces two new air seeding, air hoe drills to make this job easier, more accurate and more productive.

“We’ve just brought to market the 1830 and 1835 Air Hoe Drills,” says Steve Detrick, project manager, John Deere Seeding Group, Moline USA. “These drills are extremely well suited for Australian No-Till seeding Practices. They are built with a new design, durable and flex-frame design that encourages consistent seed depth and a smooth field finish.”

“The 1835 drill has a Separate Fertiliser Placement (SFP) system that accurately applies nitrogen separately during the seeding operation. What this means is that you can now apply seed and starter fertiliser in the row, separately place nitrogen between the rows, and apply a pack over the seed for good seed soil contact – all in one pass, with the one machine.”

The SFP disc openers integrated with a John Deere 1910 Air Cart and variable rate seeding and fertiliser system accurately places nitrogen fertiliser separate from the seed.

“This SFP system minimises plant damage at germination, thus improving seed emergence,” explains Detrick. “One SFP disc opener combines four key processes to minimise volatilisation and immobilization of nitrogen placement at seeding.

“These processes include active hydraulic down-force, depth gauging at the opener, low soil and residue disturbance, and a positive closing system to lock-in granular, liquid, or gas forms of nitrogen. The SFP disc opener insures accurate application of nitrogen precisely when it is needed and can help in reducing the overall fertiliser cost. Producers will truly appreciate the added performance and productivity of these air hoe drills.”

Another big change for both the 1830 and 1835 Air Hoe Drills is the frame design which has undergone an advanced and rigorous testing program to ensure durability up to four times longer than previous models. During the past year, John Deere has done extensive final testing of this machine in Australian paddocks to ensure its performance in our conditions.

“How did we get more reliability?” explains Detrick. “A new frame design with robust ball joints enables the frame to flex diagonally, relieving stress on solid frame members and avoiding frame failures. We listened to our customers and designed this more durable frame.”

The 1830 and 1835 Air Hoe Drills seed smoothly over uneven terrain because of the flex-frame design. The diagonal mainframe and wing flex help the tynes hold their seeding depth over varying soil conditions. The end result is a more uniform crop emergence which is essential to meeting maximum yield potential.

“Depth control settings are made easy with the new drills,” says Detrick. “The operator has a choice of two depth control options. Base equipment on the drills includes indexed depth shim packs, and the new air hoe drills feature a reduction of adjustment sites by 60%.

“The other option is the convenient TouchSet™ depth control which allows the operator to make depth adjustments from the cab of the tractor on-the-go. This is an easy adjustment and very important in variable field conditions to help maintain consistent seed depth.”

Customers have two choices for tynes on the air hoe drills. There is a TruPosition™ tyne, with a 550 pound trip force, and a TruPosition tyne, with a 350 pound trip force for rocky fields. For no-till seeding, trash handling is a major feature of the new air hoe drills, with options of 190 mm (7.5”), 250 mm (10”) or 300 mm (12”) tyne spacings.

Another feature of the air hoe drills includes a simplified hydraulic lift circuit with a reduction in the number of hydraulic cylinders. This system insures consistent depth from mainframe to wing and maintains excellent seeding performance throughout the entire width of the machine. No re-phasing of the cylinders is needed and there are fewer hydraulic components and hoses to maintain.

“With the new durable frame design, consistent seeding depth control, and the SFP system on the 1835 Air Hoe Drill, customers will appreciate the productivity, and seed and fertiliser placement accuracy they gain with the new air hoe drills from John Deere,” concludes Detrick.

For more information on John Deere Seeding Tools call into your local John Deere Dealer, FREECALL 1800 800 981 or visit our Web site at www.deere.com.au.

High Resolution Image - 1830 Air Hoe Drill (large file)
High Resolution Image - 1835 Air Hoe Drill (large file)
High Resolution Image - 1835 Openers (large file)