Trends in seeding and cultivation technology aim to address the conservation of soil moisture, the improvement of nutrient availability and simplified machine operation via digital-electronic aids.
 
Demands on seeding technology have prompted new seed drill features including changing row widths, grain singling, simultaneous working-in of fertilizer, grain counting sensors and integration with tractor and farm information systems.
 
Cultivation equipment has increased in complexity and now features modular mechanical design with high interchangeability of components and electric adjustment options with electronic connection and operator support systems. Spatial positioning of fertilizer by seed drills can now be carried out at a fixed depth vertically, and laterally based on the individual location of the crop’s root system. Some systems at Agritechnica 2019 even offer discontinuous portioning of fertilizer for individual plants.
 
The latest seed drills offer positive effects on soil moisture. Achieving more uniform plant distribution across the field, which then provides shade to the soil earlier, also results in improved weed suppression by arable crops. Control and operation of seeding technology via ISOBUS allows automated data acquisition of work carried out in the field. Sent to information platforms on the cloud, this data represents a major step towards digital agriculture.
 
Prof. Hans W. Griepentrog from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, explains more about these emerging trends.