Superior conditions for growth
Germination is the most critical stage of the growth process. It is crucial for the plant to be able to access nutrients quickly and safely in order to get the jump out of the ground it requires.
Quick warm-up
To trigger the seed growth, the right temperature must be reached in the seed furrow. The furrow created by the opener acts in the same way as strip tillage, where the strip warms up faster than the surrounding soil. This speeds up the germination process.
Promotes growth
Both the fertiliser and the seed are placed on uncultivated soil, providing great access to capillarity water. This secures a fast swelling of the seed. As a complement, the stubble and crop residues between the rows, retains humidity in the ground.
Root development
The seed is placed on firm, moist soil so the radicle has immediate and continued access to moisture. The fine tilth beside the seed allows other roots to develop and rapidly branch out towards the fertiliser band. This aids quick emergence and vigorous growth of the developing plant.
Knives designed for performance
The perfect separation of fertiliser and seed is obtained through the dual-knife system where the second knife covers the fertiliser with soil before dropping the seed. This creates a barrier between the seed and fertiliser, preventing fertiliser burn while allowing the seed early access to nutrients.
The Seed Hawk knives have been specifically designed to prevent hair pinning and/or mixing. Therefore, the seed is granted a clean seed slot free of residues. The fertiliser knife, which runs deeper than the seed knife, brings up moist soil from below and provides the seed with greater moisture access at this early, critical growth stage.
The flat-faced design of the knives creates fine soil tilth, securing seed-to-soil contact. Additionally, the knives create an open sidewall and furrow bottom free of compaction or smearing. This activity promotes air and moisture exchange as well as root development.
The Seed Hawk press wheel adds more pressure on the fertiliser row to seal in moisture. By providing a slight sideway pressure over the seed, the press wheel prevents capping. The result is a perfect contact between seed and soil.
When it comes to seed knives, growers have the choice of Single Side Band (SSB), the new Inline Side Band (ISB). or Twin Wing (TW) knives depending on their preferences.
Single Side Band
The Single Side Band Knife is the leader in precision seed and fertiliser placement. The offset knives cut shallow, separate trenches for seed and fertiliser, placing seed on undisturbed soil and fertiliser in the best position for superior uptake, while also protecting seedlings. The result is quicker germination and more even emergence, in all soil conditions. †
Inline Side Band
The all-new Inline Side Band knives achieve side band placement with an inline knife design. The seed knife cuts a separate shallow trench where an angled seed tube is used to place the seed 2” away from and 0.75” above the fertiliser. The new inline design allows for better soil flow and performance in residues resulting in a smoother field finish. The new inline system also allows the grower to easily switch from Side Band to Twin Row placement if desired. †
Twin Wing
If narrower spacing is desired, growers have the option to equip their 12 inch toolbars with twin wing openers to create 9 inch of spacing between seeded rows. The design ensures that two distinct rows emerge, while providing proper separation of seed and fertiliser. The wider shank distribution improves residue clearance, and tighter row spacing increases seed bed use, making the emerging crop a better competitor for weeds. †
| Single Side Band | Inline Side Band* | Twin Wing | |
| Available On | 10" or 12" Row Spacing |
10" or 12" Row Spacing |
12" Row Spacing, creating 9” rows |
| Soil Disturbance | Average | Minimal | Increased |
| Trash Flow | Average | Improved | Improved |
| Propensity for Plugging | Minimal | Average** | Average*** |
| Moist Conditions | Excellent | Limited | Limited |
| Dry Conditions | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Heavy Soils | Excellent | Average | Limited |
| Medium Soils | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Light Soils | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Power Requirements | 5 hp/opener | 5 hp/opener | 6 hp/opener |
* For increased packing coverage the spindle may be changed when installing Inline Side Band Knives
** Propensity for plugging largely depends on soil types and moisture. With heavier soils and high moisture, the propensity factor will be increased.
*** Propensity for plugging largely depends on soil types and moisture. With heavier soils and high moisture, the propensity factor will be increased. Additionally, pulses and other large seeds may see difficulty at the flat plate of the knife during high application rates.
Risks and Precautions
† Our company conducts testing and research to verify the placement of seed and fertiliser, the measurements shown above are approximate and measured center to center of the seed and fertiliser rows.
It is our company's policy to not recommend or endorse specific application rates due to many varying risk factors. Please consider the following factors when using our Seed Hawk seeding system.
Fertiliser rates and type: depending on the type of fertiliser used, damage can occur either through NH3 toxicity, or the effects of salt, or a combination of both. Typically, the risk of seedling damage increases as the rates of fertiliser are increased.
Seed quality and types: crops vary in their ability to tolerate seed‑placed fertiliser, cereals have been found to be able to withstand more than oilseeds, while pulse crops toleration levels fall somewhere in the middle. Seed with poor vigor can suffer more damage from seed‑placed fertiliser than seeds with high vigor, when vigor is unknown seed testing is recommended.
Soil factors: when soil is nearly saturated, the toxic effects of fertiliser are diluted so seeds can germinate and develop with fewer problems. When conditions are very dry or are predicted to be dry during critical growth stages, the toxic effects are stronger and fertiliser rates should be reduced to compensate for this. Extreme wet and dry conditions, heavy residue and the presence of rocks may also lead to erratic seed placement, poor seed-to-soil contact and/or poor seed to fertiliser separation. Finely textured soils including clays or clay-loams tend to also reduce these toxic effects better than coarse or sandy soils because of their ability to hold more water and absorb fertiliser particles. Soils with higher levels of organic matter can also reduce the risks of damage.
Seeding system settings: Improperly adjusting seeding depth, packing pressure, speed and airflow may compromise seed and fertiliser placement as well as the overall quality of the seeding operation. It is highly recommended to consult the operator's manual to ensure you are operating the system as it was intended to be used.