Farmer: Régis Gonnu
Company: CUMA des Alouettes
Location: Eastern France
Farm size: 160 hectares
Crops: Maize, wheat, barley, oil seed rape
Tempo model: Väderstad Tempo F
Our farm, GAEC de la Grange, we cultivate 160 hectares of maize, wheat, barley, oil seed rape and grassland for our 60 dairy cows.
We direct drill and use strip-drill for spring crops.
All our machines (tractors, combine, sprayer, fertilizer spreader, seed drill…), are on common with other farmers, it’s call a CUMA (Coopérative d’Utilisation de Matériels en Commun). We are 4 farmers in this cooperative and our Väderstad Tempo was bought in this CUMA, in 2017.
Our old planter, 6 rows, was not enough for 300 hectares to drill in the good conditions during spring. So we had to increase capacity and versatility because we have several working techniques in the cooperative: direct drill, strip-till and conventional. And Väderstad Tempo proved to be adapted to all our needs.
It is a planter that we discovered by chance when we visited a farm who had one. We know Väderstad for tillage and drilling but not for planting. When we saw the planter, we were seduced. Especially by the impressive coulter pressure. Before during strip-drill, when we were not on the worked strip, it didn't work, now with the Väderstad Tempo, we don't have problem any more.
This is the 2nd season with Väderstad Tempo, we are planting maize, soybeans, sunflowers and oil seed rape. In conventional planting, we drive at 13km/h, I am sure that with more power we could go faster. And in direct-drill we are at 10km/h. One point sure, is that when the speed is not there, the planting quality is not there too. It is a planter designed to plant quickly.
Compared to our previous planter, the planting quality is much better.
When we bought the Tempo, we were looking for the capacity and high speed, but it also brings us a simplicity of maintenance, it was a good discovery. Even when we shut-off seed, fertilizer and microgranulation.
If someone asks us if he should buy the Tempo or not, we will advise them “yes of course”, there is no problem with that.
