The Maestro SX, right away in several equipment configurations, will be offered as early as next season.
In the precision-sowing machine segment, HORSCH has held a strong position with its Maestro line-up for many years. Today, more than 50,000 of these machines are already working in fields worldwide. But HORSCH isn’t going to rest on its achievements, and continues to grow investment in developing new machines of this type.
Since the start of this season, new CV, DV, RV, as well as CX and RX models have joined the Maestro line-up. By spring 2021, every Maestro modification will be fitted exclusively with the new AirVac and AirSpeed metering units.
In the previous terraHORSCH issue (19/2019), we already started covering what’s new in the updated Maestro. In spring 2020, these machines were successfully tested in real field conditions. Customer feedback from various corners of the planet gives an objective picture of how the new machines perform. Naturally, particular interest goes to comparing the AirVac and AirSpeed metering units, which work on different principles. And while vacuum metering units are already familiar to customers, the new AirSpeed positive-pressure pneumatic metering unit was an absolute premiere. Overall, it’s worth noting both types of metering units have deservedly earned high marks from practitioners and have already won customers over.
Every machine in the CX and RX model lines will be fitted with AirSpeed metering units. Here, seed separation happens under the force of compressed air. The system has proven very reliable in field conditions. Every setting is extremely simple. The metering discs can work with seed of different sizes and shapes, with no need for any special fine adjustment of the metering unit. Both sugar beet and corn stands look very uniform. Plant-placement quality in the row, assessed using the statistical coefficient of variation (0-100%, ideal – 0%, complete chaos – 100%), came to 7-15%.
Working speed in this case is 12-15 km/h. Under favourable dry conditions, a successful experience was recorded sowing corn even at 18 km/h. Grain-placement precision was excellent throughout. Unlike vacuum systems, positive pressure shows the opposite trend: as travel speed increases, metering quality doesn’t decline, but improves up to a certain limit. This property clearly shows the AirSpeed metering unit is built for high-speed, high-output sowing.
With the new AirSpeed metering unit, you can sow at speeds up to 15 km/h.
The AirSpeed metering unit delivers very high seed-placement precision.
In the new vacuum AirVac metering unit’s first year of series operation, hundreds of these systems were tested, earning top marks from practitioners worldwide! Evaluating sugar beet and corn sowing results using the AirVac metering unit showed that seed-placement precision, both with narrower row spacing (45-50 cm) and wider (70-75 cm), matched coefficient-of-variation values in the 10-20% range. Visually, all the stands looked very uniform and developed successfully, despite a dry spring, indicating high-quality seed placement by the new system.
In France this season, new mounted Maestro RV models entered series production. Some of them worked in combination with the HORSCH Focus for corn sowing in StripTill strip-farming systems. These systems are very effective for direct sowing of corn, especially when using cover crops. Focus tines with HORSCH ULD ultra-narrow points intensively loosen and mix soil only in the areas where sowing rows will be placed, without disturbing the inter-row spacing. Moist soil is raised by the tine into the upper horizons, allowing seed to be placed in the moisture-supplied soil layer.
As a result, moisture loss here is minimal, which improves moisture supply for crop plants. Thanks to Maestro RV’s high coulter pressure combined with Focus tines, optimal sowing quality is now possible even in the most challenging conditions.
Alongside the CV/CX and RV/RX models, the Maestro DV is offered for the Russian and Ukrainian markets. The Maestro DV is an 8-row row-crop seeder with seed containers on the seeding sections and a central fertilizer hopper with a 2,800 l capacity. The Maestro DV always comes fitted with an AirVac metering unit. Compared with the CV, this machine is optimally adapted to operating conditions in the countries mentioned: it has a simple design and doesn’t demand much from the tractor’s functionality. Thanks to a wide range of options, it can be optimally adapted to each farm’s individual needs. For example, AutoForce, fertilizer-flow control, WorkLight Pro night lighting, or a 2-section hopper are all possible.
The hopper’s 4-point linkage can be used to pair not just with the Maestro, but also with the Pronto NT grain drill with split discs and TurboDisc coulters. Additionally, a variant with a RollFlex roller and TurboDisc section is offered.
The Maestro SW line-up will also be updated in 2021 and, depending on the seeding unit type, split into two lines: SV and SX. HORSCH also offers two different hopper options for these models: for machines with an 18 m working width, this will remain, as before, a central hopper with a 7,000 l capacity for fertilizer and 2,000 l for seed. For machines with a 9 and 12 m working width, a new hopper variant is being developed.
Thanks to the design innovations HORSCH has introduced across the Maestro line-up, 2020 has been a very successful year for the company in this segment. However, the engineering department has no intention of losing momentum, to be well prepared for the new season. With new machines and innovations, HORSCH is consistently strengthening its position in the precision-sowing machine segment.
