Sky Agriculture, which previously traded under the Sky and Sulky names, has unveiled a range of precision drills featuring folding and telescopic frames, quick-change row width settings and Isobus electronic control.

The line-up comprises the wings up-and-over folding Sonic PPF in eight- and nine-row versions, and a 12-row model for narrower spacings also capable of planting eight or nine rows, and four Sonic PTV models with a telescopic frame planting six to nine rows.

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These variants cover a selection of row spacings, the narrowest being 40cm and the widest measuring 95cm, and all use seed singling and distribution hardware from Agco subsidiary Precision Planting.

RowMotion row-width adjustment on the toolbar is standard and enables changes in about 15 minutes, says Sky, without resorting to any tools.

In addition, certain row widths can be achieved by lifting individual units out of work.

This should be a particularly handy benefit for contractors frequently switching between different crops during a busy planting period.

Turbo discs

Each row unit, mounted to the toolbar on parallel linkage, comes as standard with twin row-cleaning tine wheels designed to move trash to one side and mounted on their own assembly to follow surface irregularities.

An opener comes next, formed by a depth wheel alongside two “turbo discs” set at a 9deg angle rather than the more common 12deg to minimise soil disturbance, moisture loss and the potential for encouraging weed seeds to germinate.

The following press wheel is adjustable vertically to suit different soil conditions, and one of several different closing wheel designs completes the line-up.

Sky’s Sonic seeders are designed for planting into prepared ground or direct into undisturbed soil without prior cultivation.

For the latter, a hydraulic load transfer mechanism attached to the tractor’s lower linkage arms provides a downforce of up to 350kg per unit to ensure penetration into firm, heavy soils.

Seed is carried in 70-litre individual hoppers, with the option to add one or two microgranule units.

Fertiliser can be sourced from a 1,400-litre bulk hopper built into the planter chassis, or Sky’s Progress TF tractor-mounted 2,200- or 2,400-litre front hopper.

Alternatively, the planters can be mounted on the back of the trailed Maxidrill disc and packer cultivation drill in place of the usual coulter bar used for grain and oilseed crops.