Air Seeders

Typically used for reseeding and overseeding pastures, the pneumatic Air 8 (8 outlets) and the Air 16 (16 outlets) are usually fitted to an OPICO Grass Harrow. Designed to accurately meter and distribute grass and small seeds evenly across the full width of the grass harrow which opens up the soil, creating a tilth for improved seed to soil contact. 

The grass seeder seed rate can be varied from 1 to 80kg* per hectare, according to the type of seed being sown and whether reseeding or overseeding. Where oversowing only specific areas of a field, electronic seeders can also be switched on or off during the harrowing operation.

Sowing should always be followed with rolling to ensure good seed-to-soil contact is achieved.

The OPICO Grass Harrows and seeders can be used together for new reseeds or for overseeding old or patchy leys.

The productivity of old or patchy leys can be rejuvenated and the life of the ley extended, simply by overseeding. This is especially useful where poor drainage or flooding has killed off grass in certain areas of a field, or where livestock have poached ground near gateways and troughs. In addition, the field does not have to come out of use.

With few effective clover-safe herbicides around, many farmers have adopted the approach of ridding the leys of perennial weeds like docks and thistles first, and only stitching-in clover once a clean grass ley has been established. Using the OPICO grass harrow, bare ground is exposed onto which the broadcast clover seed can land and establish.

Typically a first year reseed is expected to give 25% more yield than an old ley, although improvements of 40% have been known. Furthermore the modern grass varieties in seed mixtures have been bred to utilise nitrogen better, and have higher yields and digestibility than older grasses.

In soil conditions where it is difficult to establish new leys, aggressively cultivating the surface and heavily overseeding with a OPICO Seeder in consecutive seasons can give a reliable alternative.

After the usual ground cultivations, always roll the field at least once to obtain a good firm seedbed before harrowing and seeding and then roll again after to ensure good soil to seed contact.

For leys to reach their full potential for yield and quality, an integrated approach to grassland management is essential.

As well as harrowing, this includes: maintaining good drainage, avoiding soil compaction, reseeding with grass and clover mixtures appropriate to livestock and purpose, timely weed and pest control and tailoring fertiliser applications to compensate for soil nutrient shortfalls.

Grass is a very valuable crop and treating it as such can dramatically reduce seed costs.

Unlike most other types of seeders, the OPICO Air 8 and Air 16 grassland seeder uses individual metering wheels for each seed outlet enabling extremely accurate seed metering and guaranteeing the same amount of seed is fed to each outlet.

This is crucially important when using low seed rates and small seeds.

Four types of metering rollers are available. Two of these quickly interchangeable seed rollers are supplied as standard, the third or fourth can be purchased as an extra.

The amount of seed applied is controlled by the speed of the metering roller and is adjusted until the desired seed rate is achieved. The Air 8 mechanical drive seeder has a clever step-less gearbox to ensure reliability in work and seed rate.

The Air 8 and Air 16 electronic machines have a speed sensing motor that is constantly checked and adjusted by the computer control box to give you a constant seed rate at all times.

Mechanical versions	Electronic versions	Calibration	Drive mechanism
A stepless gearbox and lever are used to adjust the seed rate.	The control box in the cab allows setting and adjustment on the move, and records the area that has been travelled and how much seed was put on that area.	On all machines this is performed by removing the metering roller cover and using the calibration tray.	Toothed, non slip drive belts are used to transmit power to the seed roller and agitator. Agitator disengagement for delicate seeds is done by simply reversing the agitator drive pulley.

Mechanical seeders come with spoked land wheel drive to give constant forward speed related metering. The electronic machine uses a radar.

On some tractors it is possible to connect to the tractors own radar system. Forward speed related metering means accurately maintained application rates on high draft machines and in awkward shaped fields where ground speed may vary.

A hydraulic fan or two 12v electric fans provide the airflow to deliver the seed down the pipe to the correct position on the machine.

Electric fans (right image) have a full wiring looms and switch unit in the cab. There is an optional air flow alarm to warn the operator in case of blockage or malfunction.

Hydraulic drive units (left image) include a fan speed sensor and alarm to warn the operator if the fan is not turned on when seeding or if there is a malfunction.

Whether you are over-seeding or re-seeding pastures OPICO have a seeder to suit the job. The AIR 8 seeder is designed to fit directly onto an OPICO Grass Harrow.

The seeder accurately meters and distributes the seed evenly across the width of the machine whilst the Grass Harrow opens up the soil and creates a tilth and then covers in the seed resulting in the ideal environment for seed germination.

Land wheel drive - ground speed related rate control
Gearbox - precise seed rate metering
Twin electric fans - easy fitting and control
1 metering segment/outlet - precise seed distribution
Powder coated and anodised - built to last

The Air 8 (E) Electronic uses the electronic control as standard with a motor to drive the metering mechanism and twin electric fans to distribute the seed through its 8 outlets on machines up to 6.5m wide.

Landwheel speed sensing - ground speed related metering
Electric drive - precise seed rate metering 
8 outlets - accurate distribution up to 6.5m working width
In cab control box - allows on the move seed rate adjustment, simple calibration and diagnostic sensing.
1 metering segment/outlet - precise seed distribution
Twin electric fans - easy fitting and control
Powder coated and anodised - built to last

The high capacity Air 16 incorporates the electronic control as standard using a motor to drive the metering mechanism and a hydraulic fan to distribute the seed through its 16 outlets on machines up to 12.5m wide.

The Air 16 suits applications where wider working widths, faster working speeds and/or higher seed rates are required.

The larger hopper, hydraulic fan and larger metering mechanism are designed to deal with high output applications.

Landwheel speed sensing - ground speed related metering
16 outlets - accurate distribution up to 12.5m working width
In cab control box - allows on the move seed rate adjustment, simple calibration and diagnostic sensing
1 metering segment/outlet - precise seed distribution
Hydraulic fan - handles high seed rates without blockage
Powder coated and anodised - built to last