Born from Sly Agri Ltd (a British company founded in 2006), Horizon Agriculture has announced a new type of no-till seed drill as the business focuses on the manufacture of regenerative and conservation agricultural equipment.
A single square foot of soil contains billions of micro-organisms which include fungi and bacteria. Together with earthworms these form a critical part of the nutrient system that feeds the roots of growing plants. Not disturbing the soil – ‘no-till’ for farmers and ‘no-dig’ for gardeners, is now widely understood to boost both soil health and resulting crop yields. Sowing seeds whilst minimising the disturbance of the below-ground ecosystem has become vital for the modern farmer.
British made, low till and no till seeding technology with precision down-force control
As of February 2020 the new ‘no till’ DSX disc coulter from Horizon Agriculture is available to British farmers, a never seen before no-till technological solution. With the objective of low soil disturbance, the job of a DSX coulter is to move as little soil as possible during seeding while providing consistent depth leading to strong germination and growth.
Each disc coulter is mounted to the drill using a cast steel parallel linkage and is maintenance free. The narrow design ensures effective seeding into previous crop residues or cover crops and the optional air actuated row cleaners create a clean band ahead of the disc.
Customisable row width and seed depths
Seed row spacing can be 16.70cm, 18.75cm, 20.00cm or 25.00cm and, if wider widths are required, individual disc units can be raised to leave spaces. Furthermore, in partner cropping situations, row by row depth settings mean different seeds can be simultaneously sown to match their respective requirements.
The new drill is designed to provide up to 300kg or more of downforce to the coulters but the profile of the slanted cutting disc ensures this is rarely required.
A locking pin system enables quick depth settings which can be fine-tuned using the rear closing wheel and an optional firming tab behind the coulter ensures seeds are precisely held in the furrow before being firmed by the following wheel.
The gauge wheels running next to each disc have been specifically designed for high trash clearance with optional front row cleaners and feature a narrow spoke design helping to keep them clear of any mud or trash build up.
George Sly, Managing Director of Horizon Agriculture has grown the seed drill, strip tillage and precision planting business in the UK since 2010 and is looking forward to continue proving the Horizon System in the UK and around the world with products just like the DSX coulter.
