Planting between 350 and 400 acres of potatoes each year means the Sheridan family need to run an efficient high-throughput system when it comes to planting potatoes.

When planting, the Sheridans aspire to plant every bit of ground they prepare on the day.

This means the same ground is ridged, bed-tilled, destoned and planted in the one working day, with the ridging usually taking place no more than an hour ahead of the planting.

The Grimme four row potato planter has an output of around 25-30 acres per day.

Up to this year, the Sheridans, based in Co Meath, were running a 2017 Grimme two-row potato planter. In order for the two-row planter to keep up with the other machines preparing the ground, it had to be operated from early in the morning, through lunch and late into the evening. Cousins Noel and Mark Sheridan both agreed the two-row planter was definitely the weakest link in their planting operation. This led to the leap from the two-row machine to a four-row machine.

Noel and Mark Sheridan

Four-row planter

After carrying out some research on a four-row planter, the Sheridans soon found out there was only one four-row planter working in the country up to last year. The cousins said they were a little nervous as it was a big move but it has paid dividends.

The new four-row planter has brought many benefits. From a labour perspective, the move from two rows to four rows means the planter operator has time to load the planter with seed, rather than requiring an additional telehandler operator. This frees up Noel or Mark around planting time, an important factor at a busy time on farm.

60% less diesel

The four-row is being operated on the same tractor (John Deere 6175R) as the previous two-row machine. The move to the bigger planter has cut diesel consumption by about 60%, explained Mark. This is because the system used in the previous two-row machine had the fertiliser hopper mounted on the tractor’s front linkage, requiring the fertiliser to be blown back underneath the tractor to the drill where it was placed in the soil.

The two tanks on the tractor's front linkage have a combined storage capacity of 800 litres.

This system required a lot of hydraulic power, meaning the tractor was working harder and thus burning more diesel. The new four-row planter has a fertiliser hopper mounted on the machine. The fertiliser is fed down along using gravity, before being applied close to the seed.

The stainless stell fertiliser hopper has a 1,500kg storage capacity.

Noel and Mark also highlighted that the new planter has reduced compaction on their farm by 50%, as the four-row requires half the passes that the previous planter did. In addition, the planter has doubled throughput capabilities. On a typical day with the four row planter, the Sheridans would plant in the region of 25 to 30 acres.

On a large tillage operation in the spring such as the Sheridans’, halving the time required to sow potatoes allows the family to keep on top of other tasks such as spraying and applying fertiliser to cereals.

The four-row planter has sectional control, divided up into four sections.

The Sheridans explained the weather window for planting potatoes has and will always be a challenge, but the four-row planter will make it much easier. In addition, planting more ground as early as possible when the conditions allow also means the potatoes can be harvested earlier.

Sectional control

The Sheridans’ new four-row planter has sectional control, divided up into four sections. Linked in with the tractor’s GPS, each section, which includes spray, fertiliser and the potato tubers, will automatically shut off.

The tubers are fed through a belt system from the hopper and are placed into the bed

Although fertiliser storage remained the same with the switch to the four-row planter (1,500kg), liquid storage has increased from the 120l tank that was mounted on the two-row planter to two tanks on the tractor’s front linkage, with a combined storage capacity of 800l.

A support wheel runs on the outer right-hand side of the machine to help evenly distribute the weight.

The four-row planter also has a 3t seed storage hopper. The stainless steel fertiliser hopper along with the flow-board for bed cultivation are extras on the Sheridans’ machine.

The GB 430 is designed to work in both conventional planting and for planting in beds. The machine comes with the option of two different chassis to combine the various options of ridge shaping depending on requirements.

Typically, the Sheridans plant at a speed of around 7km/h, with the tractor running at around 1,200rpm, planting at a depth of 6-7in into the ridges.

How does the machine work?

The planter is pulled using a hydraulic steering drawbar attached to the tractor’s three-point linkage. As the tractor needs to travel between the pre-shaped ridges, the planter works in a slightly offset position to place the tubers centrally in the ridges. To keep the distribution of weight on the three-point linkage balanced, 12 50kg weights are placed on the left hand side of the drawbar. In addition, a support wheel runs on the outside of the right-hand side of the machine to help evenly distribute the weight.

Hydraulic depth control of the furrow opener and automatic shaping board steering ensures consistent bed formation.

A central hydraulic ram is used to set the working depth of the planter. Two-furrow openers sit in front of the main frame, beginning the bed forming process. Hydraulic depth control of the furrow opener and automatic shaping board steering ensures consistent bed formation.

Discs in each of the four rows slit the ground and fertiliser is placed in the bed.

Directly behind, discs in each of the four rows slit the ground and fertiliser is placed in the bed. Meanwhile, the four beds are constantly being formed at the same time. Behind the slotting of the fertiliser, the tubers are fed through a belt system from the hopper and are placed into the bed before eight nozzles (two nozzles per row) spray each of the beds.

The planter is pulled from a hydraulic steering drawbar, attached to the tractors three point linkage.

Stainless steel shaping boards leave each of the four rows with a loose-to -firm ridge with a smooth surface. The chassis is fitted with two wheels (270/95 R44). It has a hydraulic steering axle with a large steering angle of up to 42°, making the machine agile and manoeuvrable in the field.

Machine spec

Model: GB 430.

Seed hopper capacity: 3,000kg.

Weight empty on basic spec: 4,000kg.

Number of rows: Four.

Row width: 75-91.4cm.

Tyres: 270/95 R44.

Throughput: 25-30 acres/day.

Transport width: 3.9m.

Prices starting at: €110,000 plus VAT.