British manufacturer izona showcased their new direct seed drill at this year’s Groundswell Event held on 23rd & 24th of June at Lannock Manor Farm, SG4 7EE. Over the two days, visitors to the show’s direct drill demonstration site will be able to see the izona iPass 624 in action which the company markets as a versatile concept that can carry out no-tillage, strip tillage and conventional tillage seeding.
The izona iPass is the brainchild of farmer and engineer, Martin Lole who is well known in the industry for being the leading force behind several popular machinery brands still operating in the UK. Designed to offer flexible, high output seeding across a range of establishment systems the iPass incorporates a number of thoughtful features.
High output, pressurised tank
Boasting a large 7000 litre split tank the iPass can comfortably accommodate four bags of fertiliser and six bags of seed to allow an output of up to 16ha per tank fill when based on a 180kg/ha seed rate. The tank is pressurised for metering and conveying high application rates efficiently and at speed. A generous twin ladder platform has been incorporated to allow easy access to the tank lids for filling and inspection and doubles up as centralised housing for the drills pair of fans and electronic systems.
Commercial braked axle on floatation tyres
Supporting the high-capacity tank, the monocoque chassis features a commercial axle fitted with hydraulic brakes as standard whilst floatation tyres give the drill a sympathetic footprint. Operators can upgrade to air brakes as an option, something that is becoming more common and is a legal requirement for road transport in many European countries.
Flexible coulter choice for different techniques
Interchangeable front points and coulters allows the iPass to be converted from a no-till drill to a strip till or conventional drill at the push of a roll pin. Operators can choose 2” single shoot and 3” and 5” double shoot coulters to achieve different row spacings to suit different seeding techniques. 250mm row spaced models, such as the 6 metre iPass 624 and the 8 metre iPass 832 can achieve a conventional seed row finish using the 5” coulter which drills individual rows evenly spaced apart across the width of the drill. The iPass can also be available in 333mm row spacings with models including the 618 and the 824.
Auto-reset leading tines and front discs clear crop residue from the seeding zone to produce a clean till of moist friable soil whilst band placing fertiliser to promote good root development. Seeding coulters are suspended via a parallel linkage that allows independent control from the cultivation zone whilst also ensuring that the coulter angle is unaffected by depth for accurate seed placement. A unique universal joint system gives the independent, hydraulically pressurised coulter arm exceptional self-steering capabilities and allows the coulter to follow the ground for even establishment across undulating fields.
The variability of the iPass set up appeals to both growers looking to reduce cultivation and advance to a direct system, as well as those who are well established with minimum tillage and want a reliable and consistent machine. Visitors to the Groundswell show will have the opportunity to see demonstrations of the izona iPass in person across the two days where they will be able to discuss the drill with a member of the izona team.
