A drawbar-fitted seed hopper has been developed for Kverneland’s Optima TF Profi SX precision drill to speed up the filling process.

The mid-mounted unit is available on the eight-row model, boosting carrying levels to 870 litres – an increase of 390 litres when compared with the 60-litre individual row units.

A fan blows the seed from the hopper to the coulters, reducing the reliance on electronics and moving parts.

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The seed is then held in a 1.5-litre “waiting room” above each drilling unit until it is required.

As these small hoppers are filled, the air stream stops and then restarts again once the seed level has dropped, allowing it to be filled.

The extra cost for adding a mid-mounted hopper to an eight-row Optima is £5,500.