New European legislation may affect maize drilling

The issue, first discovered in Germany during 2008, is that drills should not be allowed to vent into the air, causing seed treatments to be released and drifting occurring over neighbouring crops and field margins.

Major seed treatment companies Bayer, Syngenta and BASF have worked since 2008 to improve stewardship of maize seed, and part of this is to ensure seed is drilled safely.

Drill modifications have been possible in Europe, and Bayer hopes its experience on the continent will assist UK farmers to alter their machines.

The problem lies with pneumatic drills and the UK relies on mainly this type to drill its crop, says Martin Oldham, a Bayer seed treatment engineer.

“All growers and contractors who use such machines should determine if modifications are necessary - if the drill vents into the air then it will need modification” he says.

Whether any will be modified this drilling season remains unknown, but Bayer’s Adrian Cottey says: “As an industry, we must not be exhausting any dust into the air where it will contaminate the drill and affect wildlife.”

Ideally, manufacturers should be consulted, says Bayer, and companies such as Amazone and Kverneland have already taken steps to help farmers.

Simon Brown of Amazone says: “We have already introduced the concept of diverting air flow from the vacuum fan exhaust downwards and out through a vent in ground contact with a system called Envirosafe Airkit ED, and this can be retrofitted to all ED drills.”

Graham Owens of Kverneland advises owners of the company’s maize drills to get in touch. “We have been proactive in this matter, and all new drills supplied after November 2009 have been factory fitted with the air deflector modification,” he says.

Kverneland also supplies retrofit kits for existing machines, priced at £195 for serial numbers up to 8619, and £130 for numbers post-8619.

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