There’s a lot that’s new in the Maestro precision-sowing machine segment. Michael Braun and Thomas Murr from HORSCH’s product marketing department gave us a brief overview of the new products.
Michael Braun (right), head of HORSCH’s product marketing department, and Thomas Murr (left), responsible for the precision-sowing machine segment
Precision-sowing machines, first and foremost, need to be versatile. And not just because they have to handle different kinds of seed material – row spacing also varies by crop and region. To meet all these criteria, HORSCH significantly expanded the Maestro line-up, adding the CV and RV models, as well as the CX and RX.
terraHORSCH: Mr. Braun, what do the letters V or X mean in the new Maestro models?
Michael Braun: Starting this year, we’re using two different metering-unit types. The CV and RV models, as before, are fitted with AirVac vacuum metering units. The CX and RX models, on the other hand, will be fitted with the new AirSpeed positive-pressure metering units.
On the Maestro RV, the familiar seed boxes remain – one on each seeding module
What does offering these two different systems in parallel give customers?
Thomas Murr: our machines work in many countries and under different conditions. We deal not just with different soil and climate characteristics, but also with different seed material types and seed grades. Each system has its own advantages and application limits. Vacuum metering units handle small-seeded and legume crops equally well, and are even used for sowing exotic crops like hemp. Positive-pressure metering units show their full advantages where output is in demand – and that’s inevitably tied to high machine working speed. There are limiting factors here too, for example, seed-placement precision in moist conditions. But ultimately, what matters to customers is getting a qualified pre-sale consultation, and they’ll weigh the possible risks themselves.
Can it be said that one system or the other is better suited in certain regions?
Michael Braun: there’s no clear-cut answer here. I think that in practically every market, both systems will be offered, more as equivalent alternatives. Our job is to competently explain the advantages and application limits of both systems. Then, taking the customer’s needs and wishes into account, we choose the appropriate solution together. In every case, this will be done individually. But I can already say quite firmly today that both systems are fully ready for export markets.
What working speeds are possible today for precision sowing?
Michael Braun: AirSpeed metering units can work with quality at speeds up to 15 km/h, AirVac metering units – up to 10 km/h. Here I’d especially like to emphasize that we’re talking about quality sowing at this speed. Quality isn’t just about correct plant spacing in the row, but also seed-placement quality and closing the sowing furrow. This is largely determined by how carefully pre-seeding tillage was carried out. Soil moisture is another relevant factor for sowing quality.
The universal AirVac metering unit is used for sowing various crops
What do both systems have in common?
Thomas Murr: Both metering units have a similar design. Externally, they can only be told apart by how the pneumatic feed looks. The internal structure is identical. The grain or seed is either drawn by airflow pull to the hole in the metering disc, or, conversely, pressed against it under compressed-air pressure. The doubles singulator has simple mechanics and requires no individual adjustment. After separation, the grain is directed into the coulter tube. In this phase of its movement, correct pneumatic accompaniment is important, whether it’s pulling force or air pressure. Of course, the right choice of metering disc matters too. The ejector roller serves to clear the metering disc’s holes from accumulated dust or damaged seed. The new metering discs are made of polymer. Their main advantages are a variety of shapes, low weight and an affordable price, letting the customer choose a wide range of the right equipment for working with different crops.
Michael Braun: The metering-unit housings practically don’t wear out, they have minimal moving parts and no inertial forces occur. On machines with 8 seeding modules, we don’t even need an additional electrical cable. The electronics let you individually control each seeding module’s operation, apply systems such as Section Control, Variable Rate, or controlled traffic farming management. All these capabilities have already been successfully implemented on many HORSCH machines.
What distinguishes the new machines from their predecessors? Which models will appear on the market soon? And most importantly – when?
Michael Braun: In the current price list, updated on October 1, the mounted Maestro RV and trailed CV are already offered as successors to the successful CC and RC. CV and RV sales are already in full swing. Machines with the new metering-unit type are for now offered in limited quantities. As a rule, preference is given to demo or test machines when ordering.
Thomas Murr: We offer various equipment types, some of which have been changed in detail. Here, first, I’d like to mention the ability to move seeding modules along the seeder’s frame, which lets you easily and conveniently vary row count from 8 to 12 or back. The Maestro RV and RX have classic seed boxes on each seeding module. Fertilizer is placed in the front-mounted hopper, for example, the HORSCH Partner 2000 FT. This is their main difference from the Maestro CV and CX. They can also come with either seed boxes on each module, or – and this is new – with central hoppers for seed and fertilizer, with 3,000 l and 800 l capacities respectively. By analogy with the Maestro SW, this system carries the English abbreviation MTS – Main Tank Supply. You can also combine these: for example, use only the central 3,000 l fertilizer hopper along with individual 70 l seed boxes on each module. The Maestro CV, besides the 8- and 12-row versions, can also come in a 9-row version, where the modules are arranged asymmetrically relative to the machine’s centre. This lets you avoid compacting sowing-row strips at a track width of 2.10 or 2.25 m.
I think this machine will be in demand in markets where a 70/75 cm row spacing prevails. A limiting factor in this case could be the availability of 9-row headers for harvesting. However, the number of enquiries from France and many regions of Germany rather suggests the opposite. What’s new for the Maestro CV is that the seeder now folds wings forward, along the hopper. This gives the machine additional stability even with an empty hopper. For countries outside the EU, starting in 2020, another new model will also be offered – the Maestro DV.
This machine has low draft resistance, which makes it desirable for many customers, for example, in Russia or Ukraine. It will initially come in an 8-row version with a 70/75 cm, or 30-inch, row spacing. In its base version, the Maestro DV has mechanical coulter-pressure adjustment and individual fertilizer boxes. Systems such as AutoForce, a dual hopper, a loading auger, and others will be offered as options. All models will share one common fertilizer-application system: a single-disc fertilizer coulter will place fertilizer at a targeted position to the side of the row, at variable depth. This option has proven the most successful, including on heavy, sticky soils, where there used to be problems. Single-disc fertilizer coulters will be available starting in the 2020/2021 season.
