This week our Agricultural sales team had a Seedhawk 600C on-farm demonstration with Vaderstad; only the second time in this country the new high-performance no-till seed drill has been seen in action.
The host farm has Cotswold brash soil which is characteristically stony. The task was to drill spring barley into winter stubble and the field had already been fertilised. The Seedhawk is the master of optimised no-till seeding for excellent emergence and this demonstration supported the claim.
Built upon the concept of direct drilling which has been around for more than 30 years, the new Seedhawk 600C features a new front disc and three-hopper system. The new front disc opener runs straight ahead of the front shank opener and allows work in more varied conditions, including with cover crops and more residue. It also helps to break up soil clods in harder conditions, helping to create finer tilth around the seed.
The first opener shank has an aggressive angle on the soil which breaks it open and keeps a constant seeding depth. The second shank has a less aggressive angle to the soil which keeps fine tilth around the seed. Following the two shanks there is the press wheel which gives perfect pressure for good soil-to-seed contact, or soil-to-fertiliser contact. This incorporation of the key benefits of tillage in a no-till system combines the best of both worlds producing optimal yield with minimum risk.
The Seedhawk 600C features three separate tanks with the Fenix III metering system underneath, with one Fenix per section. The Seedhawk 600C has two sections, and the Seedhawk 800-900 has three sections. Traditionally, the fertiliser has been in the first shank and the seed in the second, but with the new tank and metering system this can be changed for personal preference and any tank can feed any coulter. The three tanks have a combined capacity of 7000l and can be used for fertiliser, seed, and cover crop in any combination; the possibilities are endless with a three-hopper system.
If you would like to seed the Seedhawk 600C for yourself, it will be on display at our upcoming Open Day & Grain Clinic on 23rd April, 2025. The Vaderstad team will be on hand to show you around the machine and answer any questions you may have about the Seedhawk 600C or any other machinery from the Vaderstad drilling, planting, and tillage product ranges.
  
