GT Powers through 1000 - Grimme UK

Focus on Scotland
Grimme plants the
highland way
T
he Scottish Highlands are a challenge
for all root crop machinery to prove
their mettle, not least for a potato planter.
Grimme's GL42K 2-row mounted belt model
planted 69ha (170 acres) of Maris Piper
seed on James Gordon's Ross-shire farm
last spring living up to his expectations.
Replacing a belt machine from another
manufacturer, the GL42 has met the needs of the
Scottish grower who plants into mainly light sandy
loam and some clay soils. ‘We bought the GL42K
chiefly because of its consistent sowing depth,
spacing and quality of ridging,’ explains Mr
Gordon whose son Alan operates the machine.
‘We consider the machine to be versatile in
planting a greater range of potato sizes and
varieties.’ Despite a few teething troubles, which
were quickly ironed out by Grimme, the planter's
sowing accuracy is partly achieved by its
hydraulically driven belts,
operated by a sensor-controlled conveyor; this is designed to achieve an even
feed. A specially-designed shaping hood also leaves a decent finish to ridges,
especially with the soil susceptible to wind erosion, claims Mr Gordon. He
considers the in-cab controller to allow simple setting of planting distance and
amount of potatoes per hectare; it stores these varioussettings, and can
monitor planting performance using a series of cameras, says Mr Gordon.
‘We have also found the planter to be effective at keeping stones clear of the
planting area even though there are rouges below the surface after destoning.The
planting units deal with stones so that seed is planted away from
them. We had to de-stone ground a few inches deeper with previous planters.’
The planter's hydraulically-adjustable hopper is also highly-visible from
the cab, and has sufficient capacity without greedy boards to allow
large work rates between fill-ups. But ultimately it's the machine's ability
to maintain an even planting depth across steep and undulating terrain,
which are characteristic of Mr Gordon's highland ground. ‘Some of our
ground is steep, and the planter has made a big difference by following
the land contours, ensuring seed goes in consistently. This also helps
protect against wind erosion,’ he explains. ‘It's essential that the planting
units do their job effectively and withstand the sandy loam soil which
can be abrasive on the metal.’ Planting 15cms (6in) deep, seed dressing
is currently undertaken by hand, although there are plans to fit the
machine with an applicator. So far, the machine is claimed to be wellmatched
to Mr Gordon's 125hp tractor.
Looking back, he is pleased with the Grimme GL42's planting performance:
‘Depth and spacing accuracy, above all, are the planter's main selling points –
but we've also increased outputs,’ he says. ‘The machine can get more seed in
the ground per day, which adds up to a significant area over a season.
Grimme belt planter improves planting accuracy
P
lanting 89ha of high grade seed potato, Aberdeenshire grower, Keith
Norrie, invested in Grimme's mounted GL42K two-row planter to
achieve optimum conditions for tuber development. He is no stranger to
operating belt planters, using another make before his Grimme to plant
over 50 varieties of seed.
‘Our aim is to achieve highly uniform growing conditions for our tubers which can vary
from 20mm right up to 65mm,’ he explains. ‘A cup planter is not practical for these
requirements. We have been impressed with the GL42K’s simplicity of use, its controls
and, above all, its planting accuracy.’ Such accuracy, believes Mr Norrie, has not been to
the detriment of forward speeds and output, which enables the planting of up to 6ha/day.
One of the most striking results of the planting accuracy has been the increase in yield
quality because the planting spacings and depth are very consistent, he says. In turn,
this has enabled tuber size to develop more consistently over a given time, resulting in
less burn and wastage. The overall verdict is a more uniform crop that has paved the
way for a more marketable end product.
In operation, the GL42's planting
system is designed to ensure
smooth planting from the start
of the machine.
On Mr Norrie's planter, crop is transferred through a feeding flap onto a feeding belt.
An angle sensor controls the transfer on the belt planting elements to ensure an even
feed, while round centre belts control the crop position for planting. Excess crop returns
to the back on conveyors at the right or left hand side, a filler spiral integrates the seed
gently back into the crop flow, and an oscillator is designed to ensure a consistent
delivery without seed build-up. ‘The planter has performed well in our range of
soiltypes which vary from medium clay loam to sand,’ he adds. ‘We have found the
machine to be easy to set-up to cope with various soil types, and we can easily adjust
the pressure of the shaping hood from the cab as we go along.’
Mr Norrie also considers the GL42's builtin
levelling system to achieve a constant
planting depth (5cm to 15cm) across some
of his Aberdeenshire farm's steeper ground
– some of which is liable to wind erosion.
Adding to planting evenness is the coulter
design at the front of planter that allow
rows to be opened evenly before the tubers
are quickly covered with soil, he says. He
has found other makes with rear-positioned
coulters to be less effective in this area.
Mr Norrie's machine is also fitted with
agitators and three strategically-placed
cameras – one of which provides a decent
view of row formation. Other than being a
'slightly heavy' machine to operate, and
improvements to the depth control system,
Mr Norrie is ultimately pleased with
his GL42.
‘We are happy with how the planter
performs behind our 122hp tractor fitted
with narrow tyres. We expect the machine
to sow another 89ha of seed equally well
this spring.’
For More
information
on the
GL42K,
contact
Grimme
UK for a Leaflet
GRIMME PLANTS THE HIGHLAND WAY GRIMME BELT PLANTER IMPROVES PLANING ACCURACY