At the heavy duty end of the market, Triton seed drills, manufactured in the UK, offer a unique bladed tine drill with a series of patented soil engagement features that allows the drill to operate effectively in all conditions. The Triton has replaced 5 other types of seed drills on the manufacturers own farms at Kelso, Northampton, Fakenham and Cambridge. The Triton will drill into plough, min-till and direct into stubble.
Until the Triton came to the market in 2018 the limiting factor with direct tine drills was the inability to shut the seed slot when direct drilling in heavy damp soil.
Farmers are often debating which is the best retro-fit opener to put on various seed drills, but the vital thing is to shut the slot and the only tine drill with a soil engagement ‘closer’ is the Triton, this is literally a game changer.
Simon Chaplin – Triton Seed Drills MD
The Triton is zero maintenance and drills all seed types through the same coulter with no down time between seed types.
The 2 minus 2 rape set up has increased Triton farms own rape yields by 50%. The Triton is a faultless bean drill and an effective maize drill, the Triton blades run 15cm deep in the ground leaving an ‘air battery’ for the roots which helps microbes, rooting and drainage below the seed. The ‘closer’ shuts the seed slot just at seed depth leaving the deep air and rooting slot open for a further 4inchs beneath the seed this delivers air and space to the roots and microbes which gives exception levels of tillering. Triton also has a ‘rock-hopper’ feature allowing the heavily stoned soils to be drilled without stoppages.
Farming has changed enormously in the last few years and will be continuously changing for years to come due to conflict, drought, growing populations and changing availabililty and price of fertilizers.
For the first time during my 35 years in farming, variable costs have overtaken fixed costs. Crop inputs costs have tripled and crop prices are volatile. Farmers are at continual risk of growing a crop using very high levels of working capital but may find a collapse in the wheat price 9 months later. A low risk strategy is needed and a whole new approach based ultimately on versatility and the ability to adapt a drilling mid season with as many options as possible open to the farmer at all times.
Triton advocates growing the highest output winter sown crops with minimal inputs. The Triton drill delivers the highest level of versatility on the seed drill market by a long way allowing an all autumn drilling programme to be implemented.
Simon Chaplin – Triton Seed Drills MD