Finding the easiest and most effective way to drill rape is never easy, but manufacturers can’t be faulted for trying to perfect the process.

Opico is the latest contender, with its He-Va Accu Disc till-seeding system. This bolts behind a He-Va subsoiler or disc roller and is said to place the seed at a consistent depth behind the subsoiler leg, improving establishment and uniformity of plant size in the emerging crop.

Each Accu Disc unit consists of a double disc coulter to open a slot in the soil and place the seed. The coulter is on a spring-mounted parallelogram, which enables pressure to be adjusted so it can accurately follow the contours of the soil.

The discs are followed by a rubber press wheel, which closes and consolidates the seed slot, ensuring seed-to-soil contact. The Accu Disc units are in turn mounted on a seed bar which provides a centralised depth and pressure adjustment, making it simple to set the seed depth.

Opico says it has run trials in England, Scotland and Denmark over the past two years that have shown drilling at a consistent depth improves germination of the seed and the uniformity of plant size and means cuts in seed rate can be made.

The HE-VA Accu Disc seeding system is available in 3m, 3.5m, 4.4m and 5m models. Prices range from £3,564 to £6,378.

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