FCA farms receive donation from Seeder/Fertilizer

The Teaching, Research and Extension Farms (FEPE) of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences of Unesp, Botucatu campus, received the donation of an MS 60-R Seeder / Fertilizer, from the company Ikeda Implementos.

The equipment, developed by Ikeda in partnership with Embrapa, distributes seeds, fertilizers and soil amendments by hauling and is driven by an electric motor. It can be attached to any vehicle that provides the voltage of 12 Volts in Direct Current, such as tractors (on their bumpers), coupled implements and sprayer bars, enabling the distribution of inputs in the same operation.

“As FCA has a long tradition with the Direct Planting System (SPD), the company accepted to donate the equipment due to advances in studies with this soil management system, since it is a sower of small seeds, mainly forage used for straw production in SPD”, explains professor Juliano Carlos Calonego, supervisor of FEPE.

Despite also distributing fertilizers and correctives, the equipment will be used mainly for the broadcasting of seeds of forage species or green manures that have small seeds. “As it is electrical equipment, connected to the tractor's battery, it will allow seed distribution while the tractor is performing another operation, such as harrowing, spraying or topdressing with a cultivator-fertilizer. With this, it is possible to carry out two operations at once”, explains Professor Calonego. “It will be very useful for sowing single forage species or in intercropping with corn, allowing for an increase in the no-tillage area of ​​FEPE”.