Horsch has announced the addition of 8m, 9m and 10m working width models to its Avatar SD range of direct drills.

The new models feature the same 25cm row spacing and specifications of the 12m Avatar 12.25 SD model launched last year, allowing the Avatar SD to meet a wider set of customer requirements regarding farm or tractor size, says the firm.

The Avatar 8.25 SD, Avatar 9.25 SD and Avatar 10.25 SD as well as the Avatar 12.25 SD disc drills offer 25cm row spacing. The 3m to 8m Avatar SD models are available with 16.7cm row spacing, with the 8m available in both.

Customer benefits

“The 25cm row spacing is proving popular with the very successful 12m model. Customers are reporting little to no detriment in yield in most crops, particularly in winter crops, yet lower input costs. The new models offer these benefits to customers wanting a smaller working width,” says Stephen Burcham, general manager at Horsch UK.

The new models feature a triple tank system with a capacity of 6400 litres, which boasts a 60:10:30 split in capacity, while a double-tank option with a 60:40 split is also available. Specifying the MiniDrill allows up to four components to be applied via the SingleDisc seed coulter, to provide flexibility when drilling and reduce the number of filling stops required, says Horsch.

Optional extras

As an option, trash wheels can be mounted in front of the SingleDisc seed coulters and remove organic matter, as well as stones and clods, from the row. The settings can be adjusted infinitely to the soil conditions by means of a hydraulic cylinder. In situations of high organic matter, the trash wheels significantly reduce the ‘hair pinning’ effect, where the disc coulter could press harvest residues into the seed furrow. This effect can lead to insufficient grain and soil contact.