Controlling soil throw with tine seeding: opportunities with bent-leg openers

James Barr and Jack Desbiolles, Agricultural Machinery Research Group, University of South Australia

Take home messages
• Soil disturbance caused by tine openers can affect the success of no-till seeding operations, influencing issues such as furrow moisture loss, weed seed germination, seeding depth variability across seed rows, crop safety and pre-emergent herbicide efficacy.
• Research shows that low rake angles increase soil layer mixing and deeper soil delving effects while slightly reducing furrow backfill. A bevel edge at the leading face increases furrow size and reduces lateral soil throw.
• Bent leg openers combined with bevel edge features can mostly cancel soil throw and maximise furrow backfill. They offer an unprecedented ability for high speed-low soil throw no-till tine seeders.