Day three of the Ploughing saw rain arrive in the afternoon after a largely dry morning. As usual, there was plenty of machinery on display to keep visitors entertained.

Among the stands lay Anner Agri, a Clonmel-based machinery dealer which is Irish distributor of the Weaving GD no-till drills.

We caught up with Jack O’Donnell who was manning the stand. Jack gave us a run-through of the no-till system, the Weaving GD3000M no-till drill, how the drill utilises the latest technology and Anner Agri’s experience of Wednesday's storm Ali.

No-till is a whole-farm systems approach

Jack explained that the no-till establishment method is whole-farm systems approach. He emphasised that soil structure, health and fertility must be in good order for a no-till system to work.

“Coming from a traditional plough-based system on low soil organic ground, you want at least five to seven years building soil fertility and using a min-till system before switching to a no-till system” explains Jack. The system promotes the establishment of crops into covers which the GD coulter system on the Weaving drill allows.

Coulter design

The GD coulter design, which consists of a double disk arrangement mounted at a 25-degree angle, is designed to cut a slice into the ground and place the seed in the opening. The soil is then firmed down on to the seed by a single press wheel. This disk coulter can sow into an established cover, stubbles, cultivated ground and even pressed ploughed ground.

Cost savings

Coming from a conventional plough-based system, Jack estimates that potential savings of crop establishment using the no-till system is in the region of €100/ac. The 3m Weaving GD3000M model which was on display at the stand cost €35,000 plus vat while the equivalent seed and fert model cost €45,000 plus vat. The Weaving no till drill is TAMS eligible.

Watch the full interview below.

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