The Claydon Opti-Till® System, is a holistic approach to crop establishment which delivers consistent, high yielding crops at low cost, providing maximum profitability.
At the centre of Opti-Till® Seed Drilling System is the Claydon direct strip Hybrid drill, with its unique leading tine technology.
HOW DOES THE CLAYDON LEADING TINE CONCEPT WORK?
The Claydon leading tine moves the optimum amount of soil, but only where it’s needed – in the seeding and rooting zone. It creates tilth and drainage, aerating the soil and alleviating compaction. The perfect growing environment is created for fast germination. The soil between the seeded bands is left undisturbed and moisture is conserved for the plants to tap into. The undisturbed banks of soil support the weight of farm traffic, minimising the damage caused by wheelings and compaction.
The front tine has been designed to drill direct into stubble, but can also be used in plough and min-till scenarios. It works on heavy clay and light sandy soils, baked out ground and wetter soils. It is this front tine that helps make the Claydon Hybrid drill so versatile. And as extreme weather events demonstrate, when conditions make it difficult for other drills, crops can be established with a Claydon Hybrid drill.
THE DESIGN CONCEPT IN PRACTICE
Centrally mounted depth wheels give accurate seed placement as they run on undisturbed soil between the rows and do not run over or cap the seeded area. Stone protected leading tines have a breakout force of 600kg. This is more than twice that of many other direct drills. It allows the Hybrid drill to break through the ground, lifting and aerating it whilst creating a drainage tract and space for the roots to grow deep and strong with ease. The tungsten-carbide plated leading front tine moves just enough soil to create the perfect growing environment in the seeding and rooting zone. Its depth can be adjusted between 0 for low disturbance and 15cm for deep-rooting crops.Robust, sprung seeding tines maintain constant seed depth, flowing through the soil lifted by the leading tines and cultivating it whilst only moving for a large stone. Adjustment is via the depth wheels for seeding as shallow or deep as necessary.The seeding boot drops the seed in the tilth created by the leading and seeding tineConsolidating rear toolbar with a variety of options to suit all soil conditions
