Horsch has launched a new AirSpeed overpressure metering system for the 2021 Maestro to complement the AirVac vacuum metering system it unveiled at Agritechnica last year.

Horsch announced its new generation of Maestro precision drills with the launch of the Maestro CV and RV at Agritechnica’19 which feature the AirVac system. The new AirSpeed system gives farmers a choice of metering technologies that allows the machine to be perfectly and individually adapted to the requirements of the farm.

The updates increase the Maestro range to five models (CV and CX, SV and SX, RV) with 6 to 36 rows making it the largest range of precision single-seed drills on the UK market. In addition to the new metering systems, features such as a new clamping profile for easy row adjustment make the new Maestro even more effective.

AirVac and AirSpeed metering systems

Horsch ran both metering systems on development machines in the past year. Farmers were impressed by the simple handling, reliable singulation and the precision placement and embedding of the seeds.

AirVac uses a vacuum for reliable singulation and high precision for sowing speeds up to 12kph. It has the greatest flexibility for the widest variety of crops and wide range of sowing conditions, enabling the sowing window to be increased if wet.

AirSpeed uses overpressure for precise singulation giving perfect plant spacings at high operational speeds. It offers consistent embedding of the grain by means of a shot system and a catching roller for maximum power and efficiency.

Both systems can used for precise grain singulation in a wide variety of crops including maize, sugar beet, sunflower, soya and rape with further varieties, such as beans and peas, possible in the future.

The scraper that does not need to be adjusted or changed between crops, requiring only the correct metering disc and therefore reducing seed handling considerably. A grain sensor provides information about the singulation accuracy and as both systems are driven electrically, technologies like SectionControl and VariableRate for every individual row can still be used.

A new clamping profile for easy row adjustment

The seed body has been revised for higher stability and a high hydraulic coulter pressure. It is connected to the main frame with a new clamping profile that makes it easy to alter the number of rows from 12 to 8, a key requirement for customers.

The fertiliser is applied via a single disc fertiliser coulter and its depth can be controlled separately, which is particularly helpful on heavy, sticky soils. The fertiliser coulter is attached to the row unit and the row spacings can be modified easily.

Maestro CV and CX

Maestro CV and CX are available in working widths up to 6m. Although the new models featured new technology, customers quickly got up to speed thanks to the clear machine design and use of well-proven Horsch components.

The Maestro CV and CX can now use a central hopper for seed and fertiliser, known as Main Tank Supply (MTS), or a large fertiliser hopper and individual seed tanks as with the previous Maestro. The capacity of the central tank in Main Tanks Supply configuration is 3,000 litres for fertiliser and 800 litres for seed. If the fertiliser-only central tank is used, the capacity is 3,000 litres with 70 litres of seed per row hopper. In addition to the 8- and 12-row versions, a new 9-row version is available.

Maestro SV and SX

The Maestro SW will be replaced by the Maestro SV with AirVac (V) metering system and SX with AirSpeed (X) metering system. The single grain seed drills will be available from 9m to 18m working width with 12 to 36 rows.

The 9m to 12m models feature a new 8000 litre seed and fertiliser wagon while the larger variants feature a 9000-litre wagon with a seed capacity of 2000 litres. Both wagons use the Main-Tank Supply (MTS) system with the rows supplied with seed from the central hopper. This technology increases the efficiency of the machine and avoids long idle times for filling the machine.

Maestro RV

The Maestro RV model is an 8-row mounted unit with one seed tank per row. Fertiliser supply is carried out via a front-mounted pressurised hopper, such as the Horsch Partner 2000 FT.