Egmont Agri, run by Cork contractor Timmy O’Brien and based in Churchtown, Mallow, has recently taken on the agency for the Italian MA/AG range of Siecura pneumatic seed and fertiliser drills.

This seeder range was originally designed for sowing on hard ground as no-till drills, although it has been worked successfully in the UK as a min-till drill or as a conventional drill on partially tilled soil.

The single sowing element is mounted on an articulated parallelogram, which is sprung and adjustable. It features two discs, one serrated and one smooth, which are mounted staggered with each other. They are fitted with a scraper plate and are set apart so as to accommodate the seed inlet pipe.

The soil penetration of the coulters is provided by a 180kg load, which can be increased by springs with adjustable preload. At the rear, two small wheels close the furrow to complete the seeding work.

The wheels have a toothed margin placed towards the outside of the furrow, which has the function of clinging to the ground and producing fine soil for the cover and a smooth foot for compressing the soil and closing the furrow.

The MA/AG Sicura seeder is available in the towed version with working widths from 3m to 6m.