As a tool of secondary cultivation, the furrow press has the chief advantage of creating a course tilth from the plough mould without an extra pass, and one of its chief proponents is Lemken.
The company has taken the concept and integrated it into its range of ploughs, directly mounting it on the beam, meaning a reversible plough can be turned without having to unhitch the press at the headlands.
Known as the FlexPack furrow press, it is now available for the Diamant 18 semi-mounted plough. By having this option, Lemken claims it is extending the range of applications for professional ploughing across all types of ground, including dry and stony soils.
The company said that this makes the 6- to 8-furrow Diamant 18 the only single-wheel semi-mounted plough on the market that can be combined with a directly mounted furrow press as standard.
Increased stability
Lemken suggests that this solution is ideal for farms and contractors who are looking to increase their efficiency in challenging conditions, including dry or stony soils.
To make the combination of the Lemken Diamant and FlexPack work in the in-furrow version, the design of the transport wheel was changed, and it was moved behind the base frame with the introduction of the Diamant 18.
This new position of the wheel provides a low centre of gravity, reducing torsional loads and ensuring high tipping stability at the headland, smooth running on the road, and low loads on the wheel arm.
The rearmost plough body therefore reliably maintains the set working depth, according to Lemken, even in hilly terrain, producing an even ploughing result regardless of the topography.
Control of evaporation
Having turned the soil, it is crucial to retain soil moisture through reducing evaporation. A light reconsolidation of the soil will help reduce this loss of water.
Seedbed preparation also requires a good seed-to-soil contact, and the crumbling action of the press ahead of the subsequent sowing further encouragers crop establishment.
This new combination is claimed to offer advantages not only to large farms with extensive fields, but also to sizeable businesses in regions with smaller fields structures, as there is no need to couple or uncouple the furrow press for transport.
Back to the field
In the machinery business, the testing of prototypes in the field is usually well cloaked and concealed from the public and competitors in particular, but Lemken has opened up the process somewhat in the run-up to this year’s Agritechnica.
With its ‘Mission: Agritechnica’ campaign, Lemken tells us that it is launching a new communication initiative that addresses customers at ground-level, which is authentic and practical.
The company is accompanying six farmers and contractors from different regions of Germany. who were involved in testing the prototypes of current Lemken sowing and tillage innovations.
The farmers operated the implements within their farming systems and actively participated in the further development of the ideas right up to the point of the tools being ready for market.
In a series of monthly videos, they will be talking openly about their experiences in a professional dialogue about cultivation systems, soils, and agronomic goals.
