Seed drills For Sale in Ireland

About Seed Drills

Seed drills, also known as “air seeders” or “air carts,” provide a precise way to plant beans, cotton, cereal grains, and some types of vegetables. Thought to have first appeared in Australia during the 1950s, a typical modern seed drill uses a fan to create an air stream that pushes seeds through plastic tubes from a hopper to the coulters. The machine consists of a seed tank or air cart, an opener, and a packer that meters, positions, and plants seed at a certain depth. Seed drills can also be used to more precisely apply fertiliser and nitrogen.

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Bourgault 3320-76 ParaLink Hoe Drill

From Ancient Tech To Modern Precision

Before the seed drill, fields were simply ploughed and seeds tossed by hand across the land. The ones that landed in the furrows had better protection from the elements and were more likely to be covered over by natural soil movements. This meant that such seeds were more likely to grow. However, as the hand-thrown method distributed the seeds fairly evenly on the surface, much of this seed was lost. Primitive seed drills were used in Babylon around 1,500 B.C. and China had an iron multi-tube drill around 200 B.C., but the first European version didn’t come until the 16th century in Venice. Though improved upon by Jethro Tull in 1701, seed drills would not be widely used in Europe until the 19th century. The drills were initially pulled by horse and later steam- and petrol-driven tractors. The seed drill had runners to open the furrow to a pre-set depth. The seeds were dropped into these furrows, and then discs cut away the sides of the trench, covering the seeds. Modern innovations allow seed drilling without any tilling, which protects sensitive soils from moisture loss and erosion.

The advancement of precision technology in farming, such as improvements to satellite positioning and variable-rate technology, has had a big effect on modern seed drills. These machines are commonly built with sensors in the primary tower and secondary hoses to monitor the flow rate of both seed and fertiliser. As such, farmers can be alerted when not enough seed or fertiliser is flowing through the drill. They can also support in-cab technology to let operators set downforce pressure in real time. For precision placement, farmers can often choose among customisable presets (for both seed and fertiliser) or configure their own downforce pressure settings.

Bigger Is Also Faster

Manufacturers are creating wider designs, such as 18.29 metres (60-foot) versions, and larger-capacity hoppers that help producers more quickly plant and fertilise their crops. With up to nearly 1,000-bushel (35,000-litre) capacity on high-end models, growers can seed more acres with fewer refills, saving time, reducing fuel costs, and helping them fit their work into today’s tighter planting windows. The latest models feature built-in scales that let operators monitor seed and fertiliser levels in each tank. To save operators time, seed drills might also feature big augers for faster fills.

Crop- & Field-Specific

As seed drills have evolved, and manufacturers have specialised the machines to suit certain types of crops and soil. Modular opener systems even allow farmers to select and change tips and attachments. For example, operators might switch from a narrow opener to a wider one based on field conditions. With different applicator tools, farmers can maximise seeding efficiency and return greater yields.

Find The Right Seed Drill

You’ll find a large selection of new and used seed drills from popular manufacturers such as Amazone, Bourgault, Case IH, Flexi-Coil, Horsch, John Deere, Kverneland, Väderstad, and more for sale on FarmandPlant.ie.