Lemken ensures lower input costs and higher returns

Any seed's dream is to be planted evenly, equally deep in a wellprepared seedbed that is firm enough for good soil contact, but loose enough for the young plants to kick out their roots comfortably to reach water and nutrients. Seeds that have been planted with such care will germinate and develop uniformly because each seed and plant has the best, equal access to sunlight, water and nutrients ... and for the farmer this means the highest possible healthy yield. A wise farmer who makes this dream come true is Org Teessen from the farm Otterfontein just outside Koster in the North-West province of South Africa, and the equipment with which he does it is, of course, LEMKEN. But increased yields are not the end: LEMKEN also saves money and time by enabling Org to prepare and plant the perfect seedbed with only one pass over the field. That means less time and fuel! This is how: Org uses his 147-kW tractor in front of his LEMKEN Heliodor 9 compact disc harrow in combination with the Solitair 9 planter. Now, in one pass, he can prepare the soil without unnecessary compaction, and at the same time plant teff, Smutsvinger grass, white buffalo grass, blue buffalo grass, field beans, dolichos or soya beans. He says: “With LEMKEN, the crops germinate very evenly. You have an even growth, which ensures a much better return.” LEMKEN's Solitair planter is well known in Zambia, and many farmers are using it with great success. More and more farmers around the world are using LEMKEN implements to farm with success. After all, LEMKEN is built for efficiency and durability. Only the best steel is being used and only the most ingenious plans are implemented in the design and manufacture - such as the LEMKEN bearings carrying the Heliodor 9's discs. These bearings last much longer than ordinary bearings because they are designed to prevent dust and soil from penetrating them, and on top of that they are maintenance free. The Heliodor's two rows of countermounted, notched discs mix plant material thoroughly with the topsoil to stimulate soil life, but it can also be used to level and prepare ploughed fields. Each disc is mounted at exactly the right angle on its own sturdy leaf spring. Behind the last row of discs is a set of double rollers that prepares a firm seedbed and is used as depth control for the machine. The Solitair plants the seeds neatly and carefully at a predetermined depth – far more accurately than simply dropping and covering it. The planter can be adjusted to place seeds as shallow as 1 mm to as deep as 70 mm in the soil. "I have climbed down from the tractor and looked where I planted. All the seeds lie at the same depth in the soil,” says Org. “This gives every seed an equal chance to germinate and every plant an equal chance to develop. The even growth of the feed crops also makes cultivation after emergence much easier. ” Air pressure carries the seed from the large seed box to the planting units, and is adjusted according to the weight of the type of seed being planted. "In the morning I fill the planter's hopper with enough seed for the day and then never have to replenish during the day," says Org. Blackie Swart, LEMKEN's Sales Manager in the area, says that one of the biggest advantages of the Solitair 9 is that it is offered with ISOBUS and can therefore communicate with the tractor's system. You do not need an additional screen in the cabin. Org explains how easy the planter's calibration works: “It only takes ten minutes, and it is very easy. The weighing chart on the side of the planter shows the five settings from which you can choose. From there, everything works electronically. You weigh the quantity of seed you want to place per hectare with an electronic scale, and read it in on the screen. The planter then calculates the hectares and measures it against the quantity of seed. I have never been out more than 12 kg on 50 hectares. You can set up your machine accurately.” Org is also very satisfied with the after-sales service offered by LEMKEN's staff. "Blackie is always there to help, and parts and information are always available," says Org.

All LEMKEN implements are manufactured according to strict European standards, and can fold up to a width of only 3 metres to fit through any farm gate. Blackie Swart, LEMKEN's Area Sales Manager; Org Teessen, farmer; and Jacobus Beyers, LEMKEN's Technical Representative, show Org's excellent LEMKEN combination, with which he cultivates and plants his fields neatly and perfectly in only one pass. For more information on LEMKEN’s solutions, contact Karel Munnik at +27 (0)82-4122577 or k.munnik@lemken.com; or Blackie Swart at +27 (0)82404-9651 or b.swart@lemken. com, or visit www.lemken.com.

Feel free to visit www.Agri4all.com to look at LEMKEN’s other products that make farming a profitable pleasure.