First result of Knight-Rabe collaboration at LAMMA 2008

The first result of the collaboration between Knight Farm Machinery and German manufacturer Rabe announced last year – a cultivator/drill combination for minimum tillage systems in widths from three to five metres – is being shown at LAMMA 2008.

The M-Drill, which combines a Knight M-type cultivator and a Rabe MegaSeed drill, avoids the need for a press cultivation before drilling in most situations. The two elements can be separated or mounted together in about one hour, so the cultivator can be used conveniently as a primary and secondary cultivator as required.

Soil-working is performed by rigid tines with Speed-Loc points, supplemented by discs for additional trash-cutting if needed. Use of the tractor lower linkage gives good depth stability, and the tines can be individually adjusted for depth and pitch. Two rows of 600mm diameter Revolver rings provide a firm, weatherproof finish.

The Rabe seed drills, which are available with hopper capacities from 2500 to 3500 litres, are high-specification units with RDS Artemis Pro Series controllers that provide GPS and ISOBUS compatibility. Operators can change seed rates on the move and run the calibration procedure in the cab. The controller has a settings storage facility, avoiding the need to re-calibrate when an existing setting is used.

Seed is metered through a single roller that can be adjusted to accept all seed types and is linked to a high-accuracy ground radar system to ensure precise rate control. Coulter design, with the coulter tip outside the trash, ensures accurate seed placement and allows up to 80kg of pressure per disc. The finishing press wheels provide firm consolidation while allowing water through to the seed.

Knight Farm Machinery is on stand G32 at LAMMA 2008.