Sky EasyDrill - A drill for all reasons

When Lincolnshire farm manager, Mick Baker of P & A Services started to assess soil types across the 3,000 acre Limes Farm near Bourne it quickly became apparent that vast differences were evident, even within fields.

‘We have a wide range of soils including black land, heavy clay and silts and, as a result, if we treat a 100 acre field as a whole unit, yields can be inconsistent,’ said Mr Baker. ‘It’s my job to adapt to these conditions and, whilst I can’t change the weather, I can control how we treat each acre of our land.’

Adaptability is key on the farm, and Mr Baker is not afraid to make day-to-day decisions that may adversely increase his workload and stress levels, but that will ultimately benefit the land and cropping. Whilst the farm has moved to some direct drilling and minimum cultivations, he is keen to keep his options open and uses the plough and sub-soiler if he feels that the land needs some extra help or is particularly dry.

It is this attention to detail and need for ultimate versatility that started the hunt for a new drill in 2016. ‘Blackgrass was a problem on the farm and our agronomist was pushing us to later autumn drilling,’ said Mr Baker. ‘We had traditionally sown straight after harvest but if we were going to push the timings back, then our current drill was useless in the wet and it became my mission to try and find a drill that could do everything for us.’

Supported by his employers, Peter and Adam Cook, various drill demonstrations were undertaken but it was the 6m Sky Easydrill that ultimately fitted the bill. Helped by the fact that a neighbouring farm was already successfully using a Sky drill, Mr Baker was drawn by the versatility of the machine and the fact that it could drill into almost any seedbed, from untilled stubble to traditionally cultivated land.

Whilst the EasyDrill is specifically designed and marketed as a no-till drill, and is often purchased for sowing into cover crops or for minimum tillage, it is equally at home on consolidated ploughed soil. This gave Mr Baker the flexibility he needed to make individual field decisions based on soil type, weather and cropping, without being limited by the drill’s capabilities.   

‘I needed a machine that was future-proof. I didn’t really buy it initially as a direct drill, but it fitted our needs as it gives us lots of options on cultivations and it is truly multi-functional’, said Mr Baker.

The drill has since been put to good use over two seasons, successfully drilling all the farm’s rape direct into stubble, alongside direct drilling peas and spring beans. It has also followed the plough, when necessary. Whilst the farm does not currently grow cover crops it is ‘likely to come’ and the drill be will ready and waiting when necessary.

‘I like to do my drilling once,’ commented Mr Baker, slightly tongue in cheek. However, it was clear from the time and consideration going into decision making on cultivations and drilling techniques that this was not a joke. 

The Easydrill at Limes Farm is fitted with three hoppers which has allowed fertiliser and slug pellets to be applied at the same time as drilling. This was high on the priority list for Mr Baker when buying the drill; cutting out two extra passes of the land and significantly reducing staff time and diesel costs, improving the bottom line - which over 3,000 acres can make a significant saving.

Fertiliser and slug pellets are routinely applied with oil seed rape and spring crops, with Mr Baker liking the ability to be able to apply both nitrogen and metaldehyde in a more precise, controlled application to keep both products away from waterways and potential contamination sources.

The drill is also used to plant pheasant cover, with the three hoppers each carrying different seed, which can be switched on and off to vary the plants grown in different areas of the field. 

Variable rate drilling was an attractive prospect for Mr Baker when searching for his ideal drill. The Easydrill has an electric driven metering system which not only allows easy calibration and accurate setting, but also allows variable rate drilling as standard. This can be controlled from the cab and can be easily integrated with mapping systems to vary seed and fertiliser rates – which is exactly the route Mr Baker has taken.

Whilst only recently introduced on the farm, precision mapping software from Hutchinsons has revolutionised how the land is worked. Appealing directly to Mr Baker’s desire for perfection, the software has allowed each field to be ‘picked to pieces’, even going as far as looking back at previous cultivations and the impact that may have on current soil management. Three agronomists were brought in to map the whole farm and identify soil types. This then allowed the management team to identify the best and least productive areas of the farm and seek solutions, focussing down by overlaying additional maps such as weed pressure indicators, to try and clamp down on blackgrass.

The software can then pinpoint recommended seed rates across differing areas and fields across the farm, which the Easydrill can translate into variable rate drilling.

Commenting Mr Baker said, ‘In bad blackgrass areas we have significantly increased seed rates to try and smother any germinating seed. Initially we were quite shocked by the amount of seed needed in patches of the fields but the additional input costs on seed have been well compensated for by increased yields and a more consistent crop across the farm.’

Whilst there has been significant investment into precision mapping, the Easydrill has enabled the farm to interpret the information and reap the benefits of converting it into practical application in field.    

As Mr Baker commented, ‘Everyone has a good drill but it is how you use it that matters.’ This may be true but the team at Limes Farm are definitely making good use of their Sky Easydrill and have made certain that they know every inch of the farm and its soil management so that they can adapt their drilling and cultivations to maximise yield at every step. In addition, Mr Baker was keen to emphasise how important it is to regularly alter the drill and other cultivations kit, as necessary, to make certain it is fulfilling its potential. It is not uncommon for him to make a number of stops within a field to make adjustments for varying conditions.

‘It’s all about knowing what works and being prepared to change’, said Mr Baker. Whilst running what is, in theory, a direct drill, Mr Baker will switch his cultivation methods if necessary and is pleased to have a machine that can cope with a wide range of drilling conditions. Mr Baker’s ethos is to be highly adaptable and he is not afraid to take make difficult decisions based on what he feel that the land needs and, whilst not always straightforward, appears to be producing results. 

Article first published in Agronomist & Arable Farmer, September 2018