Seed Hawk

Airseeders and commodity carts have been used by farmers for many years. The technology up until today has been for wide, high output cultivator bar type machines with limited seeding precision. Väderstad and Seed Hawk have developed a new concept of airseeder which gives outstanding accuracy of seed and fertiliser placement even on the widest of implements.

Seed Hawk has 25 cm row spacing as standard to enable a good clearance for trash and straw residues. The wider row distance also means less soil disturbance which helps to preserve soil moisture. In regions suitable for No Till establishment the wider row spacing shows the same yield as conventional seeding.

Low draught requirement

The ultra-narrow knives give a superior seed placement with low horsepower requirement. Recommended tractor sizes are 290 - 340 hp for a 12 m drill and 430 - 500 hp for an 18 m.

Saves time and money

No till is the most extensive way to establish a new crop with huge potential to save time and cost. The Seed Hawk concept combines the capacity of wide implements with the high precision seed placement provided by the fertiliser and seed coulter solution. The result is amazing uniform crops established at low cost.

Model range

Seed Hawk offers drills from 6 m working width up to impressive 24 m. A range of carts are available from 4,000 litres up to 21,000 litres.

Seed Hawk Bars - 45 Series

Seed Hawk has developed a new frame series that folds to 4.5 m transport width and 4.5 metre height (18.3 = 5.2 m height) – the 45 series. A unique double fold mechanism and telescopic air kit allow the 12.2, 15.2 and 18.3 m bars to fold down to just 4.5 m transport width. Great ability to follow ground contour, unrivalled seed depth precision and a gentle trip mechanism are strong key features of the Seed Hawk toolbars.

Seed Hawk Carts

The SH 14 cart has two tanks with a capacity of 8,400 litres and 5,600 litres. The SH 17.5 has an additional tank with a capacity of 3,500 litres. The SH 21 cart has three tanks with a capacity of 10,500 litres, 3,500 litres and 7,000 litres. All models can be used in either a tow between or tow behind position.

Manoeuvrable 6 and 8 m models

The Seed Hawk 600 and 800 have integrated hopper and offer an easy to handle alternative for the small and medium size farms. The hopper holds 4,000 litres.

Seed Hawk 600-800C

Seed Hawk 1220

Seed Hawk 1830

 Metering system

Seed and fertilizer

 Animation Seed Hawk concept

Animation drilling technique

Animation Boutmarkers

Animation depth setting

Animation opener

In areas that receive low amounts of rainfall or in areas with an increasingly variable climate, direct drilling into stubble is often the method that gives the best long-term sustainability and the best economy.

Leaving the stubble in place and not tilling the soil helps to retain essential soil moisture, giving the new crop an outstanding start.

The Seed Hawk concept

Seed Hawk works with fixed frame height and contour following openers. Three or four rows of coulters offer enough space for trash and straw residues to pass through. Seed Hawk has an amazing ability to follow ground contour, which is important especially when the machine width is wider. Moreover no till direct seeding is done on uncultivated fields that sometimes can be unlevelled.

The patented seed coulter is the secret behind the superior seed and fertiliser placement of Seed Hawk drills. One fertiliser knife and one seed knife are placed on a long coulter arm to give a calm and even operation.

The ultra-narrow and aggressive fertiliser knives cut a slot where the fertiliser is placed. The fertiliser depth can be adjusted and fertiliser is normally placed approx. 20 mm below the seed. The narrow seed knife places the seed 35 mm to the side of the fertiliser. This separation is important in preventing the fertiliser from burning the seed. A press wheel controls the depth of the fertiliser and the seed knife. The press wheel will close the seed furrow and ensure a good seed to soil contact. The depth can easily be adjusted using the Quick Pin setting.

The fertiliser knife has a trip mechanism allowing it to fold back when hitting a stone - without affecting the seeding depth of the seed knife.

The concept in detail

The knives create enough fine soil for the seed to have good contact with the surrounding soil and to build a little wall of soil on each side of the seed slit. This wall directs any subsequent rainfall towards the seed.

The result is precise seed placement where every seed has optimum conditions for germination. The knife keeps the seed furrow completely clean and no straw comes into contact with the seed. The neighbouring stubble and soil walls that surround each seed furrow create an excellent microclimate where plants can efficiently utilise existing soil moisture and any subsequent rain.

Seed Hawk works with no-till

No-till establishment means that no soil tillage is carried out. This means that grass and volunteer seeds in the soil are never encouraged to germinate. Stubble is kept as a protective cover to create a good microclimate during emergence.

No-Till improves the soil structure. All tillage and cultivation change the soil from its natural structure. By keeping the residues on top the soil can carry more traffic, is more capable of handling severe rain or drought and the nutrients from the decomposition are quickly available for the emerging new plants.

Moreover the few passes over the field minimize the risk of soil compaction.

Collects water

Stubble has another important function to retain water. Especially in inland climate regions, where moisture is limited, keeping the moisture is the most important factor deciding the yield potential. Leaving undisturbed stubble in place means that in warm regions the stubble will shade the emerging plant. And in cold areas snow can be retained by the stubble during the winter and become meltwater in the spring. Keeping a plant cover on the soil all year round also decreases the risk of soil erosion.

Combi drill

When drilling directly into stubble it is often an advantage to combi drill – especially in spring. Nitrogen is made available to the plant directly, which gives strong establishment, even if rainfall is lacking. Nitrogen supply can also be distributed over time by using a slow-release fertiliser. Drilling fertiliser and seed together saves one pass, which decreases the compaction. The time and cost of a separate fertilizer pass are also saved.

No-till drilling more demanding

While no-till drilling is the simplest crop establishment technique, it also demands most of the farmer. A good crop rotation and straw management are essential for success. Good soil structure with no compaction damage and a fairly level surface are other factors required. For the farmer who has these, direct drilling can produce good yields at the lowest possible establishment cost.