January 27, 2017
A tillage system developed in the mid-north of South Australia is helping to boost the productivity of cover crop planting. The Kelly Engineering system combines a diamond-shaped tiller with an air seeder to allow the entire sowing process to be completed in one pass. The patented Diamond Harrow tillage machine, fitted with a Cover Crop Seeder, began testing in the US last month and is expected to be commercially available next year. The launch is a calculated response to the rise of planting of cover crops in the United States as farmers look to increase crop yields while reducing their reliance on pesticides and nitrogen fertilisers. The Diamond Harrow is made from Australian RHS steel, which is laser cut in Adelaide using a CNC-controlled machine enabling very specific profiles to be cut on the end sections. Plates are also laser or plasma cut for accuracy before components are MIG-welded. The diamond shape of the harrow includes a perimeter set of chains that allows the machine to pass the soil to…