The Seedmatic
Reap the benefits every time with the Seedmatic Series. The Seedmatic built with over five decades of proven Aitchison seeding experience in mind, the extremely successful 4000 Series Seedmatic seed drill lets you sow the seeds of success the Aitchison zero-tillage way. The Seedmatic tine drills will penetrate existing stubble or pastures, hard and rocky as well as cultivated soils.
They are commonly used to renovate or bulk up existing pastures, as well as sow crops such as wheat and clover, peas or oilseed rape into cultivated soils or direct into stubble. Renowned for building soil organic matter and creating an optimal environment for trouble free seed germination.
The Seedmatic drills have a narrow 125mm or 5 inch row spacing with 14 inch disc coulters combined with a 400mm stagger of seeding rows enabling superior residual matter clearance. The vibrating 25mm Seedmatic tines are designed with a slimline boot holder to handle trash with ease and together with the Aitchison tipped Ni-hard inverted “T” boot, giving the perfect seed to soil contact creating the perfect seeding environment.
The Seedmatic drill range is designed to deliver uniform plant emergence with optimum yields at lower costs. The unique sponge delivery seeding system is extremely accurate and the infinitely variable gearbox handles most seed volumes and sizes effortlessly. It will deliver seeds of all sizes in most seed mixes evenly. Drills are available in seed only form or seed and fertiliser format. Available in sowing widths of 2.5m and 3m. The 3m drill qualifies for the Farm Equipment Technology Fund grant. Quality products built to last Beware of imitations of this machine.
The Grassfarmer
Aitchison’s 3000 series Grassfarmer is one of the world’s most popular seed drills, specifically aimed at making even lighter work of reseeding and or renovating existing pastures and cultivated soils. These lower cost economy linkage models are ideal for first time “zero-tillers”. They have a low horse power requirement, the highly dependable Grassfarmer is engineered to exceed your expectations. The unique sponge seed delivery system is both gentle and accurate and will sow most seeds in almost any condition at rates ranging from as low as 1kg/ha up to 350kgs/ha. Ni-hard knock on/off Aitchison inverted “T” boots with are standard on all tine drill models.
The Aitchison T- Boot
The vibrating tine with the Aitchison boot creates a smear-free, cocoonshaped mini seedbed. Competing plants have their roots pruned while the inverted T-slot mixes the seeds with the soil. The seeds may be placed 1.5″ deep in the inverted T-slot where more moisture is available; however, the seed is consistently covered with only 1/4″ to 3/8″ of finely tilled soil. The key that makes the Aitchison completely different is the special design of the Aitchison boot. The bottom surface of the boot compresses a column of soil underneath the seed, which creates a “wick” to conduct moisture upwards. The unique inverted T-shaped slot retains up to eight times more moisture and three times more oxygen than other planting systems, while offering superior seed germination. The loose, tilth-like soil deposited over the seed with the Aitchison system is a poor water conductor and acts as a barrier to stop moisture from evaporating from the seedbed. Seed savings can be 25% or greater over other drills due to improved emergence. This fact is supported by independent trial results.
How inverted T slot works
The principle of the inverted T-slot is simple and effective, giving unmatched results in all situations – any surface, every soil type and all climatic conditions.
A set of discs at the front of the drill pre-slices an opening in which the T-SEM boot then passes to create the ideal seed-bed in bands.
The shoe sheds the vegetation and prunes the roots of the existing vegetation. The seed is placed on the firm base of the T-slot so that it is in good contact with the moisture rising by capillary action.
The horizontal slicing action of the wings of the shoe means that each side of the slot falls back after the tine has passed, but the chamber remains slightly open. The micro-environment thus created allows the light and moisture to enter but retains the warmth. The consistent placement of the seed in this mini-greenhouse gives optimum conditions for an even germination, and the tilth within permits rapid root development of the young seedlings.
This explains why the plant establishment is so positive, even in an often hostile environment in the presence of living vegetation, as in a pasture rejuvenation, or dying vegetation, in an arable direct-drilling context.
The Aitchison Seed Metering System
All the AITCHISON models and the 3m SimTech T-SEM drills are equipped with a unique sponge-feed system to distribute the seed. This is extremely accurate, is kind to the seed and is unbelievably versatile.
A sponge disc feeds the seed down a tapered groove and meters it into a funnel and then a flexible hose, through which the seed falls by gravity to the base of the inverted T-slot.
The speed of rotation of the shaft which drives the sponges is controlled by a variable speed gearbox. This simple system allows very low seed rates of small seeds, such as white clover at 2kgs/ hectare, to over 400kgs/hectare of field beans. Very complex mixtures of large and small seeds of differing shapes can also be sown together. The design of the seed hopper means that such mixtures retain their integrity until the seedbox is empty, and the fact that the T-slot remains open allows seed of varying sizes to successfully germinate and flourish when sown at a common depth.
The T-Slot
The shoe pushes aside all surface trash and prunes the roots of the existing sward when rejuvenating grassland. The chamber allows light and moisture to penetrate, but retains the warmth. Because the seed is surrounded by a fine tilth, root establishment is rapid.
Excellent germination + better root development = exceptional plant establishment
The V-Slot
The seed is squeezed into a narrow compacted slot with less tilth created. The disc or discs are prone to hairpin the dying trash into the slot so it is in contact with the seed. Thus the toxicity created by the decaying vegetation can inhibit establishment.
The slot made by a disc is not an ideal environment for either the germination or the root development of tender young seedlings.
The Range
The Aitchison Zero Till Drills sowing the future of agriculture. The drill’s seeding technique uses the famous and original T-boot system, coupled with the unique gentle sponge seed delivery system is able to dispense any size seed in any seed mix. Drills are available in sowing widths 1.2m-6m, tine or disc.
Contact: Neil Ford on his mobile 0748730184 for further information.
