Five cultivator drills–Section control: Nearly as accurate as grandpa

Doubles not only mean wasted seed, but the planted crop also has to compete for light and nutrients, while gaps translate to a loss in yield and increased weed pressure in the non-drilled space. This explains why accurate section control on a straight and angled headland is so important. It is something we almost expect from precision planters and the technology is now starting to filter across to cultivator drills for cereals and pulses.

Up until recently the onus has been on the operator to get the on/off timing just right and most will lean on the side of caution and prefer to over drill. The wider the drill the larger the overlap on a slanted headland. Even with manual section control it can be difficult to get the on/off just right, especially on trailed cultivator drills which are generally long. To get it right requires a seasoned operator who knows when to when to lift out and drop in the coulters and how long it takes for the seed to get from the metering units to theoutlets.