[iksn]

https://www.seedmaster.ca/ultrasr.php
I thought this concept was still in prototype phase, but noticed the local dealership is carrying brochure, so it must be out in the market. Unfortunately I missed both sask farm shows this summer, did anyone have a look at this machine? What were your impressions? 15” is awfully wide spacing. I’ll commend SM for thinking outside the box and pushing new directions

 

[bfl2008]

From what I was told there will be a few out this coming year to continue testing and it won't be available on mass till 2020 at least. Supposedly they seed on 15" on the Seedmaster farm all the time with cereals, not sure how they compare for yields versus others in the area with independent openers but on 10 or 12" spacing. Anyone know?

 

[iksn]

THe brochure claims no statistical difference between 10 and 15 inches on the SM Farm. Not exactly impartial research...

 

[bjtjjl]

Marcel on twitter has been using 15” spacing for years in the Estevan area. Claims no difference.

 

[Dean Douhaniuk]

We had the opportunity to run the SR700 this spring seeding some oats and I was impressed how it followed the ground in some very sharp hills we were planting and the job the trash cleaners left behind. I actually continued seeding in the rain where the 9630 on triples was slipping sideways on the hills but the finished job behind was 100%

 

[shmiffy]

It caught my eye at aim. Looks like a good canola seeder. Not a big deal if you leave a couple bushels on the table with a cereal crop due to the wide spacing. it will make up the difference the next year in canola. Too wide for a pulse crop though. I used to think 12 inch was too wide

 

[BoSoT]

I like the idea of the single file openers. But that residue cleaners and the wide spacing will leave me with sleepless night. I can just see that thing plugging, trying to seed thru thick damp straw at night.
Might be wrong...just my thoughts.

 

[mayo]

The SR will be available on limited production in 2020. This yrs on farm testing went very well. Apparently handles pea stubble with ease wether harrowed or not.

I think the fear of wide spacing is clouding all the benefits this machine will bring farmers. 400hp and 35gpm and you’re seeding at 45 ac/hr. So no need to invest in a huge expensive tractor. The drill will be way cheaper than conventional systems. Would have to be losing significant yields in cereals to make up for that....which you wouldn’t experience anyway so long as you increase your seeding rate accordingly based on spacing. Even on 12” guys are generally seeding to low cereal rates. Should be at 170lbs on 12” and pushing 200lbs on 15”. It’s essential to pushing yields on wider spacing. I’ve experienced yield increases on 14” from 12”. Also my fungicide application needs diminished in a big way.

Instead of being stuck on cereal yields let’s look at the big benefits.

Low HP
Low oil
Cheaper to purchase
Precision row metering
No towers to mess with
No crawling under drills
No more rank bunching in corners
True terrain following
Better field finish

And the big question nobody asks....what are we sacrificing on canola yields when using narrower spacing?

 

[Slashnburn2]

Dunno about that whole pinwheel thing...how's it handle rocks?

 

[BrianTee]

Would it be a round baler in flax?

 

[Twix]

Would have to be losing significant yields in cereals to make up for that....which you wouldn’t experience anyway so long as you increase your seeding rate accordingly based on spacing. Even on 12” guys are generally seeding to low cereal rates. Should be at 170lbs on 12” and pushing 200lbs on 15”. It’s essential to pushing yields on wider spacing.

My own trials on spring wheat and barley showed much different results. I found that I had to reduce the seeding rate when I went to wider spacing. Way too much competition in the wider seed rows and a lot of the plants died from competition with each other. Perhaps with you winter wheat and winter barley you get different results.

 

[SWMan]

.

 

[mayo]

SR in heavy pea stubble right behind the combines this fall. Impressive. Perfect field finish. Other great thing of single rank drill is no row bunching in corners. Metering works like a charm. Iso plug and play.

 

[mayo]

Video link of SR in non harrowed fall pea stubble. https://youtu.be/onsOX9cU63k

 

[mayo]

I have the row spacing discussion with guys very often. I have a lot of experience with 14” row spacing on small grain crops. We’ve seen tremendous results while lowering equipment cost, fuel consumption and soil moisture loss.

Now with the new Ultra SR hitting the market at 15” row spacing it’s sparking the convo all over again. More guys are adopting it and seeing the benefit but some guys think it’s insane until we have a convo....

There is much to consider when buying a seed drill. The Ultra SR is a 15” unit but the cost of purchase is 40% less than a standard drill design. Also with the added benefits of the
on-board metering there is a huge increase in precision and gentleness. Single rank technology allows for incredible terrain following.

So my convo always goes like this....some “data” claims a 5bu/Ac drop from 10 to 14” spacing in wheat. I have not seen this myself in all the years of using wider spacing but let’s say it’s true....

The 60ft Ultra SR covers acres like a standard 80ft unit due to faster seeding speed and is 4 compartment 735bu.
Big drill capacity.
Way more mobile.
The SR costs under 400k. A standard 80ft with similar tanks...625-700k.
250k avg savings.

With the SR you only need 375HP and 36GPM. Use an older existing tractor.
250-550k savings

Fuel consumption drops 30%
$$$ savings

Wide row spacing canola will yield better
$$$ increase

You’d have to lose 5bu/Ac of wheat per acre every year on 2000 acres of wheat for 20 years to make up the difference. It’s a moot point in my opinion.

 

[mayo]

I have a 7.5" spacing drill and had one hose out of the boot for a couple of fields of wheat. My excuse is that the blockage monitor was still fine, just crooked and seed not going in boot.

At any rate if you want to go find weeds in that field the place you will find it is on that 15" row. With weed resistance looming I can't understand why someone would give up the effective weed control tool of crop competition. I see the same thing in pulses and canola.

I do applaud Seedmaster, they are definitely trying to think outside the box and have some very innovative products.

So what if you were on wider spacing and that row where your hose was off hadn’t been tilled up in the first place? Would there be as many weeds growing if it hadn’t been disturbed? Not trying to be a jerk just asking. The more you disturb the soil the more weed seeds will grow.

I can honestly say that I’ve never seen weed issues due to wider spacing drills.

 

[SWMan]

.

 

[joesixpack]

We struggle with flushing wild oats and we even see differences in canola varieties that are canopied in. Say a Dekalb vs Pioneer.

As to the cost of the drill vs losing “5bu” of wheat on half our farm would be over 200K on one season. All the sudden that expensive drill is free.

 

[Farmer-J]

This year i thought i would test the spacing theory in NE Saskatchewan.. I purchased an old BG 5710 on 7" spacing and put it up against our BG3320's W/MRB's on 10"... The 7" in Wheat on two trials out yielded 5bu and 6bu and in oats we never had a side by side but different fields seeded with each so not perfect trial but we had 15-25bu gains with the 7"... All trial fields were NH3'd the fall previous and the 7" had 28%ish (VR) less P and k blend down total vs 10" had blend split between seed and mrb.. Seed rates were equal on both... Weed control better in 7" vs 10" but both under control... I should add we did have a trial in barley but that field had laid down so bad from a flat rate N app that it wasn't worth looking at too close but all we can say is the 7" did outyield the 10" in the high standing zones according to yield maps... These aren't perfect trials but I found them very interesting.. We will have more next year..

 

[Slashnburn2]

This year i thought i would test the spacing theory in NE Saskatchewan.. I purchased an old BG 5710 on 7" spacing and put it up against our BG3320's W/MRB's on 10"... The 7" in Wheat on two trials out yielded 5bu and 6bu and in oats we never had a side by side but different fields seeded with each so not perfect trial but we had 15-25bu gains with the 7"... All trial fields were NH3'd the fall previous and the 7" had 28%ish (VR) less P and k blend down total vs 10" had blend split between seed and mrb.. Seed rates were equal on both... Weed control better in 7" vs 10" but both under control... I should add we did have a trial in barley but that field had laid down so bad from a flat rate N app that it wasn't worth looking at too close but all we can say is the 7" did outyield the 10" in the high standing zones according to yield maps... These aren't perfect trials but I found them very interesting.. We will have more next year..

The best looking wheat crop in our area this year was put in with a rinky dink old box drill on 6" spacing. Just looked immaculate all year...until he swathed it then waited too long and it got rained on for 3 weeks in September. But it sure made the 10 and 12" spacing look like **** in comparison until then.