Just last year, zero-tillage technology wasn’t all that interesting to farmers, particularly in the southern regions. Already today, despite every fluctuation in agricultural produce prices, farmers are looking for versatile machinery that can work after any kind of tillage and in the most challenging conditions.
HORSCH’s newcomer — the Avatar 12.25 SD seeder — delivered ideal sowing over the summer-autumn season, whether after discing, double cultivation, vertical tillage, ploughing, or through aggressive residue — good results everywhere, with precise seed-placement depth.
Despite the moisture shortage in the southern regions, farmers in the western regions are already contracting the HORSCH Avatar 12.25 SD for next season, since the trend of moisture shortage is clearly seen year after year.
The switch to zero-tillage has been happening over several years, so a versatile seeding unit is becoming a necessary condition for such farms.
“Overall, every two-row seeder on the market is designed for use after No-Till tillage technology. But these seeders have one problem: if any tillage was done before sowing, the second row’s support wheel lifts and shifts soil toward the first row, which adds 2-3 cm of depth on the first row,” says “HORSCH Ukraine” regional manager Vadym Koval.
“HORSCH Ukraine” regional manager Vadym Koval
This situation isn’t critical, but as a result, you get uneven emergence. HORSCH, in turn, is the only company that’s brought the Avatar to market, a machine with working tools in a single row with slightly wider row spacing, which is ideal for No-Till technology.”
The “HORSCH Ukraine” representative notes that even before launching the seeder, they thought the Avatar 12.25 SD would need a tractor with more than 300 hp. But in practice, 220-240 hp was enough, sowing at a speed of 10-12 km/h.
“That speed is optimal for quality sowing, cutting the soil, placing seed and fertilizer at the right depth, and closing the row,” Vadym Koval adds.
One of the latest demonstrations this season took place in Mykolaiv region at PSP “Druzhba,” in ultra-aggressive conditions — through 30-50 cm of corn residue, on waterlogged soil, with a 295 hp John Deere tractor.
Bohdan Boiko, Chief Agronomist at PSP “Druzhba”
“We ran into the problem that we couldn’t sow using zero-tillage technology, and were forced to carry out additional tillage, which we want to move away from. That’s exactly why the HORSCH Avatar 12.25 SD became interesting for our farm.
What I like is that the machine is simple and easy to understand when it comes to settings. There’s no unnecessary hassle. You show up, set everything up from the cab, and sow. It’s all elementary.”
Another important stage of zero-tillage sowing is closing the row, for which the HORSCH Avatar 12.25 SD has a separate wheel that closes and cuts the soil at an angle, whose mode is adjusted by a spring. If sowing follows tillage — there’s an option to change the attack angle.
There’s also the option of transferring the hopper’s entire mass onto the seeding sections, so the transport wheels don’t apply additional pressure to the soil.
Ruslan Lazariev, head of “Agrotechinvestment Union” LLC
“On my farm I follow Strip-till and No-till technologies, with a few transitional fields. The HORSCH Avatar 12.25 SD seeder has good solutions built in specifically for zero-tillage.
I like everything about this seeder, it’s well made. There are already new technical solutions built in that make it much easier and simpler to operate. For example, depth adjustment is done completely simply, and there’s also a lock for the gauge wheel.”
“HORSCH Ukraine”‘s regional manager says the Avatar 12.25 SD’s setup is elementary, like on every HORSCH seeder, through coulter selection, with the option to shut off part of the seeder, sowing-monitoring sensors, and row-control, which allows for per-coulter shut-off.
“It’s all made simple, like for girls,” Vadym Koval adds. But we, for our part, are confident girls can handle even the most complex machinery. So why complicate life? 🙂
