Direct drills revisited: 3m Triton aids blackgrass fight

Wet weather was halting harvest progress when we caught up with Robert Hinchcliffe to see how he was getting on with his 3m Triton direct drill.

While adverse conditions can quickly stop cutting, there has been no such issue with the Triton, with its ability to drill late in marginal conditions providing a major boost for his blackgrass control.

This was a key driver for Robert investing in the tine-based system over discs, and he says it’s the traction and power of his Case Puma 150 with front tank that typically stops operations, not the drill.

See also: Driver’s view: Robert Hinchcliffe’s Triton drill

Winter wheat establishment has been pushed as late as January, which allows plenty of time to let grassweeds chit and then be sprayed off ahead of drilling.

He reports minimal disturbance of soil when working into the stale seed-beds prepared with a pass or two of his Kverneland Qualidisc cultivator, so there is little emergence of blackgrass in the crop.

Robert Hinchcliffe © Adam Clarke

Combined with the introduction of more spring crops such as forage maize for anaerobic digester plants, he has made a dent in the seedbank and is bringing the grassweeds under control.

There is very little to go wrong with the Triton, and Richard has only replaced one full set of the drill’s 18 75cm seeding tines and nine closing tines, plus a a few extras on the legs working in compacted soil behind the tractor’s wheels.

He says he wouldn’t get rid of the drill and is not attracted by any of the much pricier and more complicated alternatives.