Content direct from those who make the drills and have spent years perfecting the way they work
MZURI SAYS DON’T COMPROMISE THIS SPRING Headed by farmer and engineer Martin Lole, Mzuri is a leading manufacturer of strip tillage seed drills that have been tried and tested on the company’s trial farm since its inception. Formally a conventionally managed farm heavily infested with a high burden of blackgrass and charlock, the Mzuri Pro-Til …
WET YEARS ARE NO GOOD FOR DIRECT DRILLS Oh dear! RAIN, RAIN, RAIN. “A wet seasons no good for direct drills LAD” is the chant we hear incessantly, often with no experience of any Direct Drill. Yes it is, unworked stubble stands more water than worked, cover crops stand much more water than anything else …
COST PER TONNE OF PRODUCTION MUST BE THE KEY DRIVER The 2019 harvest yielded excellent results on the Claydon farm, resulting in a cost per tonne of production which provided a good margin, says direct strip seeding pioneer Jeff Claydon, who designed the Claydon Opti-Till® System. In Issue 6 of Direct Driller magazine I discussed …
NO-TILL FARMING: BOOSTED SOIL HEALTH, CUT COSTS… IT’S THE FUTURE Worcestershire-based Weaving Machinery – manufacturers and suppliers of farming equipment – have called on UK farmers to investigate and consider implementing no-till systems as part of a campaign for better soil health, highlighting not just the conservation benefits of low disturbance farming, but also the …
This summer has been yet another busy one for us, with drill building in full swing. It has, as always, been punctuated with exhibitions including Cereals and Groundswell. A great opportunity for us to discuss our machines with potentially new customers, we always make the most of the shows and try and speak with everyone …
CROSSCUTTER MAKES LIGHT WORK OF STALE SEEDBEDS Preparing the ideal stale seedbed ahead of a direct drill is an exacting task and like many farmers, Richard Budd has tried a number of approaches at Stevens Farm, near Hawkhurst, Kent. With 900ha of combinable crops on land varying from Weald clay to Tunbridge Wells sand, the …
MAKE SOIL HEALTH YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY The importance of good soil health cannot be overstated, but the key is to achieve it. Strip seeding pioneer Jeff Claydon, who farms in Suffolk and designed the Claydon Opti-Till® System, explains how In my last article for Direct Driller I mentioned briefly the importance of good soil …
NOVAG SET FOOT ON ENGLISH GROUND “At the beginning of our story, we started working with Baker No-Tillage Ltd, a manufacturer from New Zealand, to source openers for the first machines we designed”, says Ramzi FRIKHA, export manager and company founder. This partnership did not work, due to strong disagreements about improvements to be made …
NEW TO THE UK MARKET IMPORTED BY SAMAGRI LTD Who are Virkar? Virkar was set up in 2010 by three young entrepreneurs: an engineer, a mechanic and a farmer. We were looking for a no-tillage machine that was superior to the most prestigious machines on the market. Capable of offering high yield that no other …
COVER CROPS DON’T NEED TO BE FANCY?? What is the function of a cover crop? To cover the ground, reducing 1. Erosion 2. Weed growth Retain moisture and nutrients for the following crop So, all hail the winter cereal cover crop, by accident admittedly (too many grass weeds) but effective none the less and not …
