Knuckeys Precision Seeding System wins coveted Elmore title
Agricultural machinery manufacturer and supplier Knuckeys, of Winchelsea, won The Weekly Times Australian Machine of the Year Award.
WHEN Knuckey Agricultural Engineering walked away with a coveted prize from last month’s Elmore Field Days, it wasn’t just the company’s staff who were chuffed.
One particular farming operation — the first to buy the new seeding machine that took out the honour — fully approved of the judges’ choice.
Agricultural machinery manufacturer and supplier Knuckeys, of Winchelsea, won The Weekly Times Australian Machine of the Year Award with the first public showing of its Precision Seeding System, built around its new Southern Seeder Accu Sow tool bar.
Sales manager Warwick Knuckey said the tool bar frame was matched with the company’s sowing system to produce the first hydraulic tined implement the company had built solely by itself.
“We’ve been involved in tillage and seeding for three generations as a proud Horwood Bagshaw dealer and, over the years, have developed different sowing systems to retro-fit to different makes of tool bars for better seed placement and increased germination,” Mr Knuckey said.
“This latest innovation was prompted by a quest for some critical improvements in terms of trash flow, flexibility for seed and fertiliser placement, longer life of ground-engaging parallelogram systems and a more robust toolbar.
“Key features include the high-lift bridge frame, increased distance between the primary tine and independent seed delivery tube and the bar being set over five rungs rather than the more common three.
“The increased distance between the two tines also allows for more precise seed placement, with the soil flow having time to settle before the secondary tube places the seed at the desired height.
“The first machine we released was constructed to a bespoke order from a district farmer and that has now completed one sowing season.
“We can do different row spacings, different options in seed tube, primary tines and fold-up width, plus we have a coulter assembly to fit the front.
“Power-wise, we recommend 6hp (4.4kW) per tine, depending on conditions and tightness of ground.”
The bar is available in widths of up to 12m and has a transport width of 3.4m for its compact models and 5.6m for the 12m machines. Row widths can be customised from 200-360mm.
Murray Witcombe owns Mundoora a 1000ha cropping property between Inverleigh and Winchelsea producing wheat, barley, canola and faba beans.
He and son Alan picked up their new machine last April.
“I like the high clearance for doing anything underneath. It has excellent trash flow and has given us probably the best seed placement we’ve ever had,” Mr Witcombe said.
“It’s handled all conditions and all our crops equally well.
“We’ve also had a bit of luck down here, receiving some good rain in early May, and crops have come up well.
“We pulled the bar behind our 230hp (169kW) Claas tractor, but I’d say 280-300hp (205-220kW) would be best.”
Mr Knuckey said responses from growers had been positive, with the company’s order book for 2020 almost full.
Prices start at $195,800 (+GST). For more details, visit
knuckeys. com.au
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