PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶ T
echnologies, like our yield monitor- ing, farm management software, sat- ellite images, and other tools, all show us growers the poorly producing are-
as that were also saturated with water for the majority of the year. Some of our existing drain- age systems might need to be repaired or even replaced with a modern plastic pipe. Field drainage systems, installed in the past, were using clay or ceramic pieces of pipes that were installed by digging a trench need to be repaired or even replaced with a modern plas- tic pipe, which lasts longer before being clogged with dirt. Historically, farmers all relied on professionals to operate those complex laser systems and develop drainage plans for our fields. The ad- vancement of technology over the last decade has provided farmers with many powerful tools to advance and improve their operations. The advancements in technology include drainage tools as well. Current precision ag technologies and use of GPS made planning and drainage system in- stallation easy so any farmer can do it by him- self, which cut the costs significantly and make them not dependent on contractors. Instead of costly, heavy, tracked drainage machines, the farmer can purchase a drainage plow, hook it to his tractor and start drainage system installation by himself. Soil-Max, the US-based company from the state of Indiana, is a pioneer in drainage plow technology with 25 years history. Ever since the company started to expand internationally and succeed at the 2017 Agritechnica show, Soil-Max has continued to innovate it’s prod- uct line to fit the needs of the European
With Soil-Max every farmer can install a drainage system by himself
Soil-Max drainage plow technology
As agricultural technology continues to advance, we also continue to be reminded of the importance of well-drained soils.
farmer. Over the last three years, the US-based tile plow company has developed a new plow (in addition to two existing models) and three new options to fulfill the requests by farmers throughout Europe. Three point ZD1200 & ZD1600 models are de- signed for the Western European tractor. The narrow shank and patented Zero Deflection de- sign enable the plows to be pulled with ease. The ZD1200 can install up to 100 mm diameter pipe and at a depth of up to 1.2 m. The ZD1600 is a bigger plow capable of installing drainage pipe up to 150 mm and at a depth of up to 1.6 m. North American pulled model, Stealth ZD, can install up to 250 mm diameter pipe at a depth of up to 2.1 m. The combination of all models offers farmers the flexibility to own a plow that fits their farming operations. All plow models use the same leading AgLead- er Technology’s precision ag displays, modules, RTK receivers, and base stations. Aggbox is another new product also for from Soil-Max. The Aggbox option enables the farmer to also install gravel stones or other
aggregates around the pipe in the bed of the trench while they fix the tile pipe. A This instal- lation method that is popular across some parts of Europe, this and the new Aggbox pro- vides the farmer with another tool to install pipe properly on their farm, though it is not common in the US market.
Onboard Tile Reel Soil-Max also developed onboard tile reel to eliminate the need for additional pipe coil trailer.
Soil-Max Distributors At the moment, Soil-Max has trained dealers in some European markets but is looking to add new to have full dealer coverage and support here.
How to buy a plow (steps of purchasing, training, which pipes to use, etc) To use all the benefits of “do it yourself” drain- age, a farmer needs 200+ horsepower tractor
Field drainage systems, installed in the past, need to be repaired or even replaced with a modern plastic pipe.
30 ▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 May 2020
Over the last three years, Soil-Max has developed a new plow (in ad- dition to two existing models) and three new options to fulfill the requests by farmers throughout Europe.
PHOTOS: SOIL-MAX
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