AMAZONE Ltd will again take the opportunity at Cereals 2024 to showcase kit that reflects the shifting trends in crop establishment. These shifting trends are also supported by government help through the SFI and grants available through the Farming Equipment Technology Fund. The Condor 12001-C and Primera 3000 are two examples of the direct seeder range from AMAZONE that can receive government assistance. On the stand also will be the Cayena tine seeder and all these drills have the choice of fertiliser placement along with the seed as well as the option of a third hopper to be used for cover cropping and/or fertiliser. The Cirrus 4003-2C on display will also be equipped with a GreenDrill 501 for companion planting and cover crop application as well as featuring the low-disturbance, Cirrus MinimumTill Disc which is ideal for establishing a cash crop after a cover crop.

However, seeding still encompasses a huge diversity of operation from the conventional soil inversion/ drill combination systems, which offer so much flexibility in warming soils, drying soils and cleaning up difficult weed issues, through to the no-till spectrum of the tine seeder working in min-till or unmoved stubbles.

New Pantera for 2024

On the crop protection theme, this year’s event sees the introduction of the Pantera 7004 self-propelled sprayer. The all-new 7,000 litre machine, available in boom widths up to 48 metres, offers a completely new chassis system that self-levels on slopes and offers the ability to alter the track width on the front axle different to the rear. The overall weight increase has been kept to a minimum, with the unladen weight still under 12 tonnes and the weight distribution maintaining its 50:50 split between the two axles. Although based on the wet system of the smaller 4504, the Pantera 7004 offers increased capacity all round with bigger pump capacities, more engine power, a stronger driveline and also features more comfort with a new driver’s cab.

The new Cat. IV cab is more spacious, sports better visibility and offers more driver comfort with the new in-house produced armrest and joystick layout which is ergonomically designed to suit self-propelled sprayers rather than this being a legacy from the cab being used for other applications.

With the Pantera, both the 4504 and 7004 now have the added option of DirectInject. DirectInject gives the operator the chance to add an additional agrochemical to the original tank mix on the move for advanced buffer zone spraying, or doctoring growth regulator dose rates to suit the yield potential of the crop or to treat spot areas with a separate product.

Schmotzer hoe range extended

Mechanical weeding is also included in the FETF and the Schmotzer hoe range at Cereals will see the introduction of the Select hoe equipped with a liquid fertiliser applicator and band sprayer via the FT-P 1502 autonomous front tank with 1500 litre tank capacity, ISOBUS control, hydraulic pump drive and up to 7 part-width sections via GPS-Switch. Also with the hoes will be the FTender autonomous fertiliser delivery hopper, which can be used to band spread fertilisers in row crops or undersow a companion plant between the rows along with a hoeing pass. The FTender is also able to multitask by providing a fertiliser carrying system at other times of the year in conjunction with a precision seeder or drill combination, for example.

SmartFrame now available on the mid-range, compact disc harrows

Amazone will also use the event to showcase the new Catros⁺ 03 compact disc harrow range. The new, folding 4 m, 5 m, 6 m and 7 m models, with or without rear bogey chassis, feature the SmartFrame system which enables the depth to be changed on the move without altering the levelness of the machine and so maintaining that even depth between the front and back rows of discs. The beauty of SmartFrame is that, as the working depth increases, it also gives more clearance between the discs and the frame as well as between the discs and the rear roller facilitating better soil passage and higher work rates. The Catros⁺ 03 has the option of the 480mm X-Cutter discs for shallow stubble chitting and then, depending on soil type and the mode of application, the 510mm smooth, fine-serrated or coarse-serrated concave discs. On the new Catros^XL 03 model, the machine is set up with a longer leg and 610mm discs enabling it to work deeper (up to 16 cm) or where there is more surface organic matter, such as when incorporating cover crops or vegetable residues.

GreenDrill ISOBUS catch crop seeder for multiple applications across seeding and tillage

Amazone will show the Cobra 6000-2TX equipped with a GreenDrill 501 catch crop seeder box demonstrating its flexibility when it comes to cover crop establishment. This ISOBUS controlled seeder is able to be used in conjunction with GPS-enabled headland shut-off and variable rate application using shape files for maximum comfort and reduced seed wastage.

The Cobra is available in 6 & 7 m working widths and features 6 rows of ECO leaf spring tines on a 13.3 cm row spacing.  The Cobra is designed for top shallow stubble cultivation, or for seedbed preparation following the plough. The ECO tines can be fitted with either a narrow point or the 22 cm wide, duck foot share depending on depth of work and the level of the intensity required. Following the tine element will be either the double tine straw harrow or a reconsolidation roller depending on the application whereas, up-front, the Cobra can be equipped with the knife roller or Crushboard.