Description
Overview
The Cross Slot® Regenerative™ Low-Disturbance-Seeder™ completes the seeding operation in one-pass of the machine; this gives:
- fuel consumption; very significant reduction in tractor fuel consumption
- preserves the growers's soil microbiome capital
NOTE:
Use of the noun 'seeder' first occurred in 1759. The definition of a seeder is:
- 'an implement for planting or sowing seeds'
- see https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seeder
Low Disturbance
To fully qualify as 'low-disturbance', a seeder must deliver five outcomes:
- minimise soil and previous crop residue disturbance during seeding without blocking
- micro-manage crop residues to advantage by replacing them over the sown seed slots
- concurrently place additives separate from the seeds
- place and cover seeds at a constant depth regardless of variations in surface condition
- create a fail-safe seed germination and seedling emergence environment
In practice
- all seeders can be expected to achieve at least one of the above functions
- many achieve two of the above functions
- a few achieve three of the above functions
- even fewer achieve four of the above functions
Only the Cross Slot® Regenerative™ Low-Disturbance-Seeder™ achieves all five functions
What makes the Cross Slot® Regenerative™ Low-Disturbance-Seeder™ unique?
Seed size
The Cross Slot® Regenerative™ Low-Disturbance™ seed planter system can successfully handle most types and size of seed
- small; clover, brassicas, grasses, hemp
- medium; cereals, soybean, sorghum
- large; chickpeas or garbonzo beans, corn, peas
Carbon Sesquestration using Cross Slot® Regenerative™ Low-Disturbance-Seeder™
- soil carbon; incremental increase following each seeding evemt
- carbon capture; atmospheric; places into the soil (typical)
- 500 kilogram carbon per hectare
- 500 pound carbon per acre
- organic matter; builds cumulatively and regenerates soil health
Previous Crop Residue, Seed And Fertilizer Placement
(see attached high resolution image)
- residual organic matter from a previous crop is folded back over the opener slots to conserve
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- soil humidity in soil air pore spaces
- heavy residue either standing, chopped or lodged accomodated
- creates unique horizontal slot at precise depth
- seed on one side, fertilizer placed simultaneously on opposite side
- fertilizer; dry, liquid or combination banded simultaneously with seeding
- fertilizer adjacent to seed (10 to 20 millimetre spacing)
Sustainability
- regenerates soil health
- soil porosity increase absorbs water to reduce run-off
- soil trafficability improved for machinary and stock
- erosion by wind and water reduced
Economic Gain
Operating cost reduction
- tractor operating hours lower due single-pass seeding (typical)
- tractor fuel minus 60-80 percent (typical)
- tractor maintenance cost lower
- tractor labour cost lower
- seeds; less required due to higher germination rate
- water; irrigation volume reduction and frequency for conserved moisture
- one opener suits all conditions
- true one pass low disturbance seeding
- unit has 10 to 20 year design life