Strip tillage drill manufacturer Mzuri are preparing to celebrate the10th anniversary of the Pro-Til drill in 2021. Developed by farmer and engineer Martin Lole on his farm in the UK, the Mzuri strip tillage system has since gone on to export to more than 20 countries worldwide spanning four continents.

Since making its first appearance at Cereals in 2011, the Pro-Til has won multiple awards across the UK and Europe for its contribution to sustainable agricultural innovation.

Why was it developed?

After purchasing his tillage farm in 2005, Martin Lole set about ploughing and combination drilling his crops.

Martin Lole.

He said that rising input costs and dwindling yields meant it was clear that this approach was no longer financially viable, so he set about developing a min-till drill.

With a background in engineering having started the hedgecutter company Spearhead, Lole developed the single-pass drill (now commonly known as the Pro-Til) to consolidate seedbed preparation, fertiliser application and seed distribution into a single pass.

“Under conventional establishment methods we were burning fuel and wearing metal like it was going out of fashion – not to mention the huge power and labour requirements that were needed to create a blanket seedbed. Engineering a means of seeding directly into stubble whilst targeting tillage to promote quick establishment at a fraction of the cost has been the driving force behind the Pro-Til’s development ever since”, explained Lole.

Since the introduction of the Pro-Til, a succession of new additions to the range followed including the Rezult stubble rake and the Rehab sub-soiler.