Every sowing season carries a degree of uncertainty, which varies from year to year and crop to crop. In addition to the usual challenges of selecting the most suitable varieties or hybrids for one’s farm, economic and climatic variables must also be considered. Economic issues include market prices and public subsidies—the former entirely unpredictable at sowing time, while the latter offer a reliable and plannable source of income. Weather, on the other hand, makes sowing something akin to a lottery, especially given the recent rainy autumns that prevent hitting the optimal windows for cereals. However, even if the optimal sowing time is missed, not all is lost. For cereal grains, sowing can still take place in winter or, depending on the variety, even into early spring.
To ensure this possibility, seed drills capable of intervening promptly and completing sowing quickly, even in cold and compacted soils, are essential. Horsch’s “Serto SC” series seed drills are compact machines that, when deployed in the field, offer working widths of 10 or 12 meters depending on the model. Without front implements, they are suitable for traditional sowing practices but can also operate with minimal tillage and even on untilled soil. These drills feature an efficient folding technology that reduces their dimensions for transport to just 3 meters wide and 4 meters high, compliant with current regulations, thanks to a hydraulic system with capacities of up to 60 liters per minute. Road transport is further made safe and stable by the pair of “710/50-26.5” tires supporting the seed drill. These tires are lifted during fieldwork and sowing operations, where the sowing elements are preceded by a 78-centimeter-diameter rubber packer with 30 or 36 tires depending on the model. The packer ensures proper leveling and consolidation of the topsoil.
Behind each packer tire, there are two seed coulters spaced 16.6 cm apart, followed by a series of double-disc coulters—60 or 72 depending on the model—capable of cutting into even particularly compact soils. It is worth noting that these design features are well-proven and reliable, being similar to those used in other Horsch equipment, such as the “PowerDisc” coulters. These are the hallmark of the “Serto SC” series, capable of operating effectively in challenging conditions like winter weather or coarse seedbeds. With double coulter pressures reaching up to 150 kg per unit, the seeds are always distributed securely and accurately. Such stress demands a high level of robustness, and the double coulters are equipped with large bearings and a streamlined design that minimizes friction during cutting, making them extremely durable and sturdy.
After creating the furrow and depositing seeds and fertilizers, the process is not yet complete. Special seed press wheels—two per double coulter—are tasked with lightly compressing the soil to close the furrow and bring the soil closer to the seeds. Finally, as a finishing touch, an optional set of slightly curved double tines can be installed, positioned as a pair for each sowing element. These features ensure consistent sowing precision and impressive hourly capacities, ranging from 10 to 20 km/h depending on soil conditions. For example, the 10-meter working width model can sow up to 28 square meters per second, a figure that doubles at 20 km/h. The larger 12-meter model increases this capacity by 20%, enabling sowing rates between 33 and 66 square meters per second, depending on external conditions.
These performances rely on both an efficient and precise seed distribution system and generously sized hoppers. The distribution system is centered on the new “RowControl” tower, allowing the deactivation of individual rows to minimize overlaps or gaps. The hopper, with a capacity of 6,000 liters, is divided in a 60:40 ratio, enabling the simultaneous application of granular fertilizers. The front compartment holds 3,600 liters, with an additional 2,400 liters in the rear. An optional 300-liter hopper for microgranular products, such as insecticides or specific fertilizers, is also available.
An additional technical feature of the “Serto SC” seed drills is their design to compensate for soil compaction caused by tractor wheels. The machines, with significant weights of 9 to 10 tons plus the loads of seeds and fertilizers, are equipped with track eradicators, either with tines or wavy discs. These elements mitigate tractor-induced compaction and can handle heavy soils. The tractors powering these drills require between 270 and 300 horsepower, depending on whether the 10- or 12-meter-wide model is used, with tractor weights often exceeding 10 tons.
PAC and PSR Contributions
Public subsidies from PAC and PSR also influence farmers’ choices, requiring precise commitments to obtain. One example is eco-schemes, linked to five distinct commitments and funded by 25% of the PAC 2023–2027 budget. Their goal is to make European agriculture more sustainable by promoting practices that enhance biodiversity and soil fertility. For farmers growing low crops, Eco-Scheme 4 offers payments to those adopting extensive forage systems with crop rotation. These amount to €110 per hectare, increasing to €132 in “Natura 2000” and nitrate-vulnerable zones. Farmers must include leguminous, forage, or renewal crops in their rotations to preserve soil fertility and biodiversity. This obligation is in addition to the annual rotation requirements set out in “GAEC 7” of the good agricultural and environmental conditions standards. Rural Development Plans (PSR) also offer measures tied to phytosanitary management, with varying subsidies based on the selected measures.
It’s Never Too Late for Cereals
In addition to economic considerations, farmers must contend with unpredictable weather that can disrupt sowing plans. Rainy autumns, for instance, can hinder the sowing of winter cereals, as happened in 2010. That year, cereal farmers had to wait until the following spring to sow wheat, choosing appropriate varieties. Similarly, the autumn of 2024 was irregular in terms of rainfall and temperatures across Italy, delaying wheat sowing in some regions until winter. To address this, it is advisable to choose “alternative” varieties, which can adapt to temperature and daylight changes to transition from vegetative to reproductive stages. This adaptability is tied to the presence of the “Vrn1” gene. In its absence, plants require a vernalization period of 2–10 weeks at temperatures between 3°C and 10°C, typical of winter varieties, which should ideally be sown by mid-January. Semi-alternative varieties require only 2–3 weeks of cold, allowing sowing until the end of February. Fully alternative varieties do not need vernalization and can transition to reproduction even when sown in spring.
Thus, even if the optimal autumn window is missed, alternatives exist that allow sowing through late winter while still achieving good yields. This requires increasing seed density by 5% for every two weeks of delay beyond the indicative optimal sowing date of November 1.
Title: Horsch “Serto SC” cereal seed drills that defy the cold
Translation with ChatGPT
