Equipment/Technology, Europe, UK, Ireland

AVR’s Ceres 450: The answer to the quest for precision potato planting equipment

The Ceres 450 is AVR’s 4-row trailed potato planter with a hopper capacity of up to 3,500 kg (4×75 cm) or 4,000 kg (4×90 cm).

When planting potatoes, the main advantage of a trailed machine besides the weight distribution is that the user can also combine the machine with tilling equipment, such as the specially designed AVR GE-Force C ridge cultivator, the basic AVR GE-Force and with other brands.

Your tractor also needs less lifting power!

The total wheel movement from left to right is 30° (+15°, -15°). The clever mechanical design ensures that the rotation axis always remains vertical, and that the wheels constantly remain in contact with the ground.

Culti Control Option

The Culti Control is a useful option. It ensures that the GE-Force C always maintains a constant cultivation depth, enabling the user to avoid double passes. The potato planting depth is always set independently.

Straight or round-sided ridges

To obtain a good ridge, it is vital to not only select the correct ridging hood, but also to set it correctly. The 4×75 version is therefore equipped with a narrow top ridging hood with round sides or a wide top hood (wear plates with special coating made from Boron 27) with straight sides. The 4×90 version is equipped with a wide top ridging hood (also made from Boron 27 wear plates) and straight sides.

The ridging hood is operated as standard by means of an automatic pressure control. The accumulator in the hydraulic circuit ensures that the hood is always kept under constant pressure. The user can also opt for the well-known PDC system (Proportionally Distance Controlled). This system uses two ultrasound sensors to measure the amount of soil in the hood. Based upon this input, the pressure on the hood is adjusted in order to maintain even ridging.

Row-independent planting

The machine is equipped with row-independent planting. Each planting element is driven separately by its own hydraulic motor. Speed sensors in the wheel and in the four planting elements ensure a correct measurement and feedback on speed and planting distance per row.

With one hydraulic motor per row, the user can quickly turn a row on or off or set the planting speed differently per row in order to plant variably on e.g. headlands, along spray paths or the rows left and right of the spray path.

When using the on/off button per row, the function works immediately without any time loss, which is indispensable when linked to GPS. The system is, AVR wise, easy to operate and maintenance-friendly (very wear-resistant).

With this option, we want to further support precision agriculture.

GPS link via Isobus protocol on Ceres 450

All new Ceres 450 planters can be built optionally with the new ISOBUS link. This allows the planter to communicate with a GPS system via the ISOBUS protocol. The necessary controller, wiring harness, appropriate software and licence are mounted (on the planter side) for this purpose, so that one can plug into the ISOBUS contact on the tractor. This is strictly for the GPS link as the machine itself is still operated via the AVR operating screen.

Via ISOBUS the data from the job cards can be transmitted from the tractor to the planter, so that planting can be done automatically according to the specifications indicated in advance on the card. Automatic section closure of the planting channel is also possible to prevent planting overlap e.g. on the headland. This link can be retrofitted into existing Ceres 450 planters.

The video below can also be watched on YouTube here.

Source: AVR
Further information:
Tine Coopman, Marketing and Communications Manager
+32 (0)51 24 55 66
tinecoopman@avr.be

Editor & Publisher: Lukie Pieterse


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