Fendt assessing sowing technology from Precision Planting

Managers at Fendt are weighing up whether to add AGCO-built large seed precision planters to their product portfolio as they progressively transform the one-time ‘tractors only’ manufacturer into a full-line brand.

Single-seed sowing technology from US manufacturer Precision Planting is being assessed by Fendt for farms in the Europe and Middle East.

Precision Planting bought by Fendt parent AGCO

Precision Planting, based in Tremont, Illinois, was bought by Fendt parent AGCO in 2017 after plans by John Deere to acquire the business from Monsanto were thwarted by anti-trust concerns. The company has developed a number of new technologies over the past 25 years aimed at improving planter performance.

DeltaForce sowing depth control system

These include the SpeedTube unit for singulating and conveying maize and similar grains to the furrow rather than relying on gravity, and the DeltaForce sowing depth control system, which automatically adjusts down-force between 10kg and 250kg.

DeltaForce is a hydraulic planter unit downforce system that aims to provide consistent sowing depth through automatic adjustment.

Proximity sensors

The mechanism uses proximity sensors and a processor linked to a hydraulic cylinder on the parallel linkage of each planter unit, with the aim of achieving more consistent sowing depth than mechanical systems, especially in variable soils.