Seeding

Thought I'd do a post about about seeding and what equipment we use to get the job done.

This is our seeding tractor - it's a Case MX 285. Very easy and comfy to drive which is essential because of the long hours Farmer Phil and I sit in it. It is equipped with a GPS unit which makes sure that the tractor drives in a dead straight line so that there is no overlapping or missed bits on the paddock which reduces our efficiency.

This is the air cart with the addition of a liquid spray tank. The tank is used to apply the chemical "Impact" which is a fungicide to control diseases in canola and wheat when mixed with the fertiliser. The air cart has two compartments or tanks - one for seed and one for fertiliser. The photo shows Farmer Phil filling one of the air tanks with fertiliser. The air cart has a fan attached which blows the seed and fertiliser along tubes to the cultivator bar.

This is the cultivator bar. It's 10.5m wide and has 36 tynes which are 12 inches apart. The tynes dig a trench and the seed, fertiliser and fungicide are placed behind the tyne in the trench.

Here is a close up of the tyne with the fertiliser hose, the seed hose and the smaller liquid tube.

There is a row of press wheels behind the cultivator bar which presses the tilled soil gently back into the trench.

This is what the paddock looks like after the seeder has been through. Hopefully in a week or so we should see little canola plants popping their heads through!

Hope this sort of explains seeding at our farm!!