Kverneland Group UK Ltd has been granted a silver award for its PUDAMA precision fertiliser placement by the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) in its 2024 Technical Innovation Award scheme.
PUDAMA is a fertiliser placement system jointly developed by Kverneland Group and the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany. RHASS judges praised the system for its ability to meter-out a precise amount of fertiliser for each seed at exactly the right time, and while working at high forward speeds.
The PUDAMA principle enables easier uptake of nutrients by placing a concentrated amount of fertiliser within easy reach of the seed, compared to conventional maize drilling processes that apply fertiliser in a continuous row beneath the seeds.
Available for the Kverneland Optima maize drill, PUDAMA is triggered by a pulse from each of the Optima SX’s sowing units. As the seed reaches a predetermined point on the sowing heart, fertiliser placement is triggered. Each precise dose of fertiliser is then pushed into the ground by a jet of air, with the seed placed directly above it.
Trials have proved that PUDAMA uses around 25% less fertiliser than traditional maize sowing systems, while maintaining 100% of the yield compared to crops that get continuously applied starter-fertiliser.
The RHASS silver award will be presented on Saturday 22 June during the Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh. PUDAMA will be entered for a gold award in 2027, after demonstrating three years of success in the UK market.
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