The demands for precision in agriculture keep growing. HORSCH’s diverse portfolio of disc seeders is built to meet them. Philipp Horsch talks about these challenges, development, and precision requirements.
Philipp Horsch
terraHORSCH: Agritechnica has just taken place. Which disc seeders did HORSCH present there?
Philipp Horsch: We wanted to present a broad portfolio of seeding machinery, so we could offer solutions for any requirement worldwide. In total, we presented machinery with five different disc coulter systems. We reached this level of diversity thanks to dynamic development over the past 10 years. Among the drivers of that development were the constant growth of international markets and internationalization. As a result, we faced ever-higher demands on disc seeding equipment, and we aimed to meet them. Another reason to take the next step to ensure precision in existing markets — the need to respond to any conditions and always guarantee ideal seeding quality. Climate change (drought / excess rain) also required additional optimization in existing markets.
terraHORSCH: How have TurboDisc coulters changed in recent years?
Philipp Horsch: Since the late 90s we’ve fitted rubber bearings at the disc mounting points. As a result, they transfer higher force to the coulter system. Over time, farms expanded and wanted to seed faster and more productively. Accordingly, coulter stability became very important.
An additional challenge was the scraper between the discs. We tried to change this to some degree over many years. But ultimately it turned out that the very first scraper we developed is still the best in terms of operational reliability and work quality.
Another aspect we’ve worked on for many years — the point where the seed leaves the coulter. That is, whether the seed should exit in front of or behind the disc bearing. It turned out that when the seed exits in front of the bearing, this creates a significant advantage, since it substantially affects seeding depth precision. Our portfolio also includes machine variants where seeds exit behind the coulter’s bearing. Here we redirect the seed flow and channel it forward. This works exactly the same way, but requires more effort.
terraHORSCH: Why has precision become such a pressing issue?
Philipp Horsch: One of the foundations we always base our developments on is improving the efficiency and precision of machinery and work processes in the field. 1990 marked the beginning of globalization in agriculture. At that time, the first task was to ensure operational reliability under new conditions and to seed correctly. Farms back then put productivity first. So we didn’t focus too much on precision, since the priority was to seed at the optimal time. In parallel, attention was paid to optimizing tillage, crop protection, and fertilizer application. In other words, efficiency became the top priority.
And only as a next step did precision automatically move to the forefront.
The reason is that yield growth is trending toward stagnation. So we have to look for new optimization potential. Clearly, we’ve reached the limit on many fronts, including genetics, climate, and crop care. The one lever that remains — is precision. And the optimal level of precision — is precise seeding. This axiom has been known since the 80s, when the first trials on this topic took place. Precision was technically difficult to achieve for many years. We were the first to achieve precise seeding of cereals. Under certain conditions, we still see room for further steps in this area.
«The application range of our seeding machinery is determined by the clay content of the soil and the intensity of tillage before seeding. Mostly, our standard TurboDisc coulter (shown in light brown on the chart) is used. It reliably and precisely places seed both on light soils when seeding into mulch and after intensive tillage. This coulter reaches the limit of its capability on very heavy soils with high clay content and with direct seeding. A few years ago we decided to offer a different disc system with greater penetration force for zero-tillage seeding. To ensure seeding precision in untilled soil, we developed a single-disc coulter with individual depth guidance. We use SingleDisc coulters in the Avatar seeder model range. Clients also use them for seeding into mulch on heavy soils. In particular, farms that want to disturb the soil as little as possible during seeding rely on machinery with single-disc coulters. In these regions, both TurboDisc and SingleDisc coulters are found. This is well represented on the chart as overlapping zones (SingleDisc shown in light green).
For farms working sharply varying soil types — from sandy to very heavy — in the future, alongside standard TurboDisc coulters, we will also offer ParaDisc coulters. They penetrate reliably even into extremely heavy soils thanks to somewhat higher pressing force and a parallelogram linkage. In many areas, the application ranges of TurboDisc and SingleDisc coulters (dark green on the chart) will overlap. The chart also marks in dark brown the DuoDisc coulter, which we developed specifically for the requirements of our Versa 3 KR mechanical seeding combination».
Dark brown: application range of the DuoDisc coulter
Light brown: application range of the TurboDisc coulter
Dark green: application range of the ParaDisc coulter
Light green: application range of the SingleDisc coulter
terraHORSCH: How has precision developed in HORSCH’s disc seeding machinery over the years?
Philipp Horsch: We’ve been optimizing precision for many years. We keep improving, first and foremost, in seeding depth, seed placement within the row, and the seed bed environment around the seed.
For example, a tangible advance was the development of the double-disc coulter. It has a fully symmetrical design, so it automatically achieves greater seeding precision. Smooth disc running is also very important. We achieved this through rubber bearings, high coulter pressure, and the stable construction of the double-disc coulter. In the first stage, coulter depth precision was ensured by a press wheel. Then came the seed firmer (keel), which fixes seeds at the bottom of the furrow even at very high working speeds.
At the next stage of development, with SingularSystem, we combined skids, a catch wheel, and precision seeding. This was quite complex, and also placed high demands on the seed itself. So, unfortunately, this development never found a worthy place on the market and remained a niche product for high-yield regions. So for now we’re focusing on the experience we gained developing Singular disc coulters, for designs we can offer to a wider circle of clients.
terraHORSCH: Which aspects matter for precision?
Philipp Horsch: We have automatic seeding-depth and press-wheel control systems, ready for series production with our AutoForce system. Beyond that, we can now also combine them with variable-rate seeding.
Disc seeding machinery is becoming more complex, the more elements we add to it (skids, catch wheel, etc.). We constantly have to make sure operational reliability is guaranteed. As we further modify the double-disc coulter into the ParaDisc+, we’ll be able to very easily swap out its soil-penetrating components. This means it will be easy to remove, for example, the skid and catch wheel and replace them with a plain tube outlet for very difficult, wet conditions.
The significant advantages of the Solus system still remain to be clarified
The new Solus machine — is a parallel development that came from outside. In doing so, we drew on experience from the Maestro model range. Based on that, we developed a concept with 22.5 cm row spacing, which can also be used to seed cereals or rapeseed. It’s still too early to say whether this concept will prove worthwhile. The machine is quite complex, so we still need to determine the chances and limits of this Solus system. What we can say for certain already today is that the additional press wheels on the left and right of the discs, which we’ve used seeding corn and soybeans, are very positive, since they ensure a uniform, compacted seed bed around the seed. We observe these positive aspects in cereal crops, which show noticeably more even emergence. Now it’s time to clarify the system’s significant advantages. We already see obvious benefits, in particular, very precise seed placement. But there are also challenges we’re working on. We plan to test whether Solus can be used with this row spacing for other crops. Only then will we know whether the concept is viable. We’re gathering this experience together and automatically transferring it to other disc coulter systems and other machine types.
terraHORSCH: Why, alongside a broad portfolio of double-disc coulters, does HORSCH also offer single-disc ones?
Philipp Horsch: The single-disc coulter is suited, first and foremost, for markets where zero-tillage is common, or, for example, rotational direct seeding is used. We don’t focus solely on no-till, but there are cases where farmers direct-seed a crop within their rotation. Climate change — is one reason this technology is being adopted more and more in Germany today. The main question — is how to retain moisture in the soil? Direct seeding is a fitting answer. Due to its design features, the single-disc coulter has a dynamic force transferred to one side. So the demands on structural stability are extremely high. It was important for us to find a forward-looking solution, and we managed it. So we believe it makes sense to have single-disc coulters in our portfolio. This lets us cover the whole range of conditions and provide farmers with the right machinery. That’s exactly why we also keep coulter-tine seeding machinery in our product portfolio — a very wide variety of machines with working widths from 3 to 24 m. We also designed these for specific requirements, so they’re in demand mainly in regions with classic no-till. Especially on stony soils and where there’s a large amount of crop residue, the tine coulter creates a clean seed furrow and is very effective.
terraHORSCH: A look into the future
Philipp Horsch: If we look far into the future, it turns out that everything we’re concerned with now will, in the long run, come down to the individual plant. This means: from seeding to nutrient supply and crop care. The individual plant is at the center of our attention.
“Astra” Agro-Building Alliance is one of the largest suppliers and service operators of agricultural machinery in Ukraine. The company’s core activities are the sale of new and used agricultural machinery, warranty service, and the sale of spare parts.
“Astra” offers its clients a wide range of machinery for practically every type of agricultural work: Fendt, Valtra, Manitou, Berthoud and Horsch, Framest, Bogballe, Valley, Trimble, Oros. The company supplies customers with the widest range of genuine spare parts to support all models of agricultural machinery from world-renowned manufacturers. Servicing agricultural machinery holds a key place in the company’s operations, covering nearly the entire territory of Ukraine and ensuring a fast response to farmers’ requests.
“Astra” has been operating on Ukraine’s agricultural market for 25 years, providing agricultural producers with quality machinery, innovative agricultural technologies, and a consistently high level of service.
