Maschio Gigante always at the cutting edge!
May 19, 2022 Posted by Brittany Cunningham
Maschio Gaspardo’s flagship Gigante Pressure is a highly adaptable, advanced direct seed drill with pneumatic seed and fertiliser distribution. Purpose-built for Australian conditions, it is a machine to be relied on across all four seasons. Three models with 6-inch spacings are available for our market; the 3m version seeds 19 rows, while the 4m and 6m versions seed 26 and 40 rows respectively. The larger models fold down to a three-metre transport width.
Cecil Wall of Coleraine, Victoria, took delivery of his new Maschio Gaspardo Gigante Pressure in June 2021. He runs a beef and sheep property on 3000 hectares. For pasture, each autumn he seeds annual and perennial ryegrasses with various clovers. Come spring, it’s tall fescue grass with clover, rapeseed and leafy turnip, while in summer he seeds barley and turnip.
“This is the first Maschio drill that we’ve had,” says Cecil. “In terms of build quality, it has absolutely met my expectations. In terms of useability, it has surpassed my expectations, likewise the results of the single-disc opener. We’re getting earlier grazings with the single disc compared to a tine drill. To give you an example, we put in annual ryegrass last spring and we grazed within three weeks. It was phenomenal."
“We were looking for a machine that was going to give us the most premium results we could achieve. There’s not a huge variety of single disc openers with six-inch row spacings available in that type of machine, plus the low profile of the seed and fertiliser hopper gives it a lot more stability. That’s important here; we operate on 20 to 30 degree slopes when we’re seeding."
“It has done about 200 hours in total, putting in the springtime and summer crops, as well as pasture renovation. We’re able to plant accurately and, coming into autumn, direct drill into virtually any soil type on the undulating country we have here. It can also withstand some stony conditions. No maintenance has been required apart from daily greasing, which is easy because there are three centralised greasing points.”
The Gigante’s hermetically sealed pressurised hopper is split into two compartments – 70/30 for seed and fertiliser or seed/seed applications. The trailed pneumatic seed drill plants seeds in rows 6-inch apart using its coil-sprung dampened, independently mounted planting unit. The 6mm-thick, 475mm diameter disc coulter slices smoothly through the soil, simultaneously cutting back crop residue, while the sowing boot ensures seed delivery into the bottom of the formed furrow.
The seeding unit delivers powerful downwards pressure (up to 260 kg) when cutting a seeding line, resulting in reliable, high-quality direct drilling with the least possible soil disturbance. Gigante Pressure’s distribution system enables seed and fertiliser to be drilled in a single shot, enhancing root efficiency as the product is assimilated. This makes it ideal for rapid and successful germination in tilled or untilled soils, allowing farmers to hit their growing season window.
The shallow notched disc coulter and the various tapered gauge wheels make sure the unit sits securely on the ground, with the sowing depth precisely controlled at the seed delivery point on each individual row-unit via an adjustable (0-80mm) spoked rubber depth wheel at the seed drop point. In combination with the downwards pressure, the sowing coulter and press-wheel dropping and rising independently of each other means consistent seeding depth across the full width of the drill, even in undulating paddocks.
“It’s an accurate machine, especially the seeding rates and the seeding placement,” says Cecil. “Being a single disc opener we’re not getting any smearing of the channel where the seed is being placed. So you calibrate the machine according to the specific seed type and then alter the seeding rate on the go without getting out of the cab.”
The Gigante Pressure is ISOBUS compatible, can be optioned with a Genius controller (with electric drives) or Trimble system and GPS speed detection system as standard. The ISOBUS terminal handles seed calibration and work parameter control – making it a fully digital solution. Via task controller variable rate (TC-GEO) and automatic section control (TC-SC), the Gigante Pressure can take advantage of ISOBUS precision farming functionalities when enabled.
“The best of the new technology uses ISOBUS terminals,” says Cecil. “It’s incredibly easy to use and plugs directly into your GPS, which means we can have automatic shut-off control over our path. Calibration is done via the ISOBUS control and you only need one screen. So one screen runs the tractor and our Trimble 2050 screen does the GPS and all of the ISOBUS control equipment.”
So how will the Gigante Pressure benefit your operation? Consider the agronomic benefits; better soil fertility and organic matter, while compaction, oxidative stress and erosion are reduced. For the bottom line, there’s less time spent working the soil, fuel savings and lower cost of inputs. It really is the epitome of conservation agriculture, reworking the soil while reducing emissions and minimising the loss of fertile soil to erosion. To top it off, each Maschio Gaspardo Gigante Pressure comes with an industry-leading two-year warranty.
For all the details about the impressive Maschio Gaspardo range, please give Delmade a call on 1800 335 623.
Delmade Pty Ltd
Phone: 1800 335 623
Email: info@delmade.com.au
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