Horsch has picked up a host of awards from Agritechnica 2013 and will displaying its new models and technology to UK customers at LAMMA 2014. In addition to two Silver Medals for innovation for its new singulation unit and advanced boom technology, Horsch’s Leeb sprayer range also won Machine of the Year.
LAMMA visitors will be able to see the new Leeb sprayers, the most technical advanced on the market, the latest Focus TD strip-till drill, the new Joker CT and the precision singulation unit. “The awards are a clear indicator to visitors of Horsch’s ongoing commitment to quality and performance,” said Stephen Burcham, Horsch UK General Manager.
The compact Joker CT rotary harrow for three-point linkage now has a disc diameter of 52cm, up from 46cm. With working widths between 3m and 6m, this allows for more intensive working in residues like straw and volunteer crops. The newly developed frame has not increased the weight, allowing a 90hp tractor to easily handle the 3m version. The new frame also allows for an improved visibility of the working area.
Six different packers are available for the Joker CT. In addition to the top-selling RollFlex Packer (54cm diameter), there is also a tyre packer (65 cm diameter), RollCut packer (60cm diameter), FarmFlex packer (55 cm diameter), SteelDisc packer (58 cm diameter) and a cage drum roller (54 cm diameter) available.
The new Focus TD has been designed to be an uncompromised solution for strip and conventional drilling in one machine. Available in 4m and 6m working widths, the new Focus TD features a 5000 litre grain and fertiliser hopper with a 60:40 split.
For the Focus TD, the new TerraGrip 3 tine system has been developed with release forces increased to up to 800kg, so the tines move smoothly in the ground even when loosening very deeply, and the tine spacing has been changed to 30 cm. For rape, sowing on the deep loosened area with a tine spacing of 30 cm is very successful. Fertiliser can still be placed shallow, deep or 50/50.
The tine cultivation frame can be quickly and simply released from the chassis at four mounting points. Once taken from under the machine, it can easily be replaced with the DiscSystem to create a compact rotary disc harrow, increasing the flexibility of the machine and the sowing window enormously. Like the new Joker CT, the DiscSystem features 52cm discs.
The Leeb range of trailed and self-propelled sprayers offer tank capacities between 6000 and 8000 litres and incorporate new intelligent and user-friendly features to improve operation and in-field performance, such as the close nozzle spacing for deep crop penetration, unmatched boom control for high speed spraying and a highly effective cleaning system.
The patented boom suspension is hydraulically dampened to provide smooth boom control. Boom widths of 21m to 36 m available and working height range between 0.3 and 2.5 m. The geometry of the parallelogram has been designed to keep the boom close to the axle.
BoomControl Plus system offers an exact positioning of the boom, keeping it very close to the target area even at high speeds and on hilly terrain. The hydraulically proportional control allows for smooth movements, which guide the boom smoothly depending on the deviation. The middle part of the boom and the outer wings are controlled independently. The boom itself is available in nine different configurations and widths.
On Horsch’s new flagship PT 330 self-propelled sprayer, the new BoomControl Pro system provides unprecedented control at speed for an exact and secure control of the spraying boom above the crop. The boom has been separated from the chassis, which prevents the rolling motions of the vehicle from being transmitted to the boom. The boom adjustment speed is very high, even in most difficult conditions, and enables an application with fine droplets and a low risk of drift to be possible.
This patented and unique active boom control is essential in offering a small spray distance and allows for a secure boom control even at high operational speeds with a nozzle distance above the crop of less than 30cm at speeds up to 30kph.
Horsch’s new singulation unit, a new metering technology that enables precise seed application, won a Silver Award for innovation at Agritechnica 2013. The new technology is available on Horsch seed drills equipped with adapted TurboDisc seed coulters for sowing, like the Pronto DC the new Focus TD.
The new TurboDisc coulter body includes the mounted metering unit necessary for singling and placing in the soil and has been designed to achieve high singling accuracy. An operational speed of 10 to 12kph is important to maintain performance. The new single grain metering unit is able sow a single grain twice per second, or 120Hz, resulting in a seed density of 240 grains per square metre at 12kph with a row spacing of 15 cm.
