A NEW machine that can drill, seed, fertilise and finish a seedbed in one pass has just hit the market, designed specifically for smaller acreages and farmers wanting to improve their pastures.
The Cosmo Bully mini-till disc seeder is imported by Pakenham-based agricultural equipment manufacturer Farm Implements, sourced through a US supplier. The machine is a standalone product for the company, which has held the sole distributorship for Cosmo Bully since 2015 covering Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific.
Managing director Tim Alcott said the unit was released for sale through its national dealer network in July after an extensive program of field testing.
We initially envisaged the Bully as a no-till seeder, but the realities of Australia’s sometimes challenging sowing conditions dictated that we go to minimum tillage, he said.
The machine comes in two sizes, 140 and 198, with working widths from 1.4m to 1.98m. Each model then includes two further variants the SD (using a 33cm straight, or bubble, coulter) and WD (a 20mm wavy coulter).
The bubble coulter has a sharp leading edge, flat section above and bubbles to disturb the surface, while the wavy coulter cuts as well as disturbing the side wall. It’s like a boning knife as against a breadknife. Straight bubble coulters are designed for paddocks with light residue where minimum stirring of the soil is desired, while wavy coulters help manage residue by cutting through old crop and opening a strip in the soil. They have good tilling action, achieving a fine soil tilth and softer side wall at all speeds in dry, sandy and heavy soil conditions.
Designed for tractors from 40-90hp (29-67kW), the spring-loaded sweptback design of the double opening discs allows the seeder to float over uneven ground while the 190mm spacing can be controlled by shutting off seed cups.
The machine is fitted with two independently calibrated seed boxes, Mr Alcott said. The front box comes with an agitator and is ideal for large seed and-or granular fertiliser, while the rear is designed for fine seed and legumes.
Read the full editorial on page 44 of The Weekly Times Crop Gear here.