Farmers drilling increasingly complex cover crop and Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) seed mixtures can now upgrade existing Stocks Ag applicators with a new metering roller designed specifically to improve seed distribution.
The new 14 Tooth Medium Roller has been developed to handle mixtures containing a wide range of seed sizes and shapes, including mustard, buckwheat, sunflower and vetch, which can prove difficult to meter accurately using conventional rollers.
Tim Farrow, Technical Director at Stocks Ag, says changing environmental schemes have altered the type of seed mixtures farmers are now establishing.
“We are no longer being asked to apply simple grass seed mixtures. Multi-species blends have become much more common and require a metering system capable of handling very different seed characteristics while maintaining an even application.”
The new roller uses flexible-tipped vanes to improve seed flow and maintain the intended balance of species throughout the drilling operation. Stocks Ag says the design has been tested extensively over the past year using a range of commercial seed mixtures.
For growers already operating Stocks Ag applicators, the upgrade requires minimal investment. The new roller fits existing Fan Jet, Rotor Meter, Rotor Jet and Turbo Jet feed blocks, allowing current machines to be adapted for modern cover crop and stewardship mixtures without replacing the complete applicator.
As more farms introduce multi-species cover crops to improve soil structure, nutrient cycling and biodiversity, accurate establishment is becoming increasingly important. Uneven metering can alter the proportion of species within a mix, potentially affecting crop performance and the environmental outcomes growers are aiming to achieve.
The company says replacement rollers and complete feed block assemblies are available through its online ordering platform, providing farmers and contractors with a straightforward route to upgrading existing application equipment ahead of autumn drilling.
Related news:
