Bourgault’s range of seeding equipment, plus its suitability for local conditions, reflects the brand’s commitment to the Australian market
Start with big machinery that can handle the most demanding of broadacre needs, then add a desire to constantly innovate rather than rest on laurels.
Finish off with an intense focus on the Australian market and this begins to tell the story of Bourgault – the Canadian seeding equipment manufacturer whose products have a strong Australian presence with considerable local testing.
Far from being just an overseas manufacturer that sees Australia as one of many markets to try and sell its products in, Bourgault works hard to ensure everything it produces will suit what farmers Down Under require.
Bourgault celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, after being founded in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in 1974.
Its first foray beyond its homeland was to these shores, with Bourgault Australia – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bourgault Industries – being established in the late 1990s.
Originally based in the Perth suburb of Armadale, the company moved to a new 20,000sqm facility in Kelmscott, also in Perth, during 2020 and this is the Australian head office.
This is paired with another 4,800sqm workshop, office and spare parts building in the New South Wales town of Albury, providing another full distribution centre.
This means Bourgault has the infrastructure and staff to ensure customers on both sides of the country can quickly receive the machinery, parts and backup service they require.
Drilling down
Since Bourgault’s local footprint was established, the nation has been a fertile testing ground for the company’s products – many of which are purpose-built for Australia.
The most recent example of this has been the 4420 DKD.
This deep knife drill has been developed with input from Australian farmers and has been a significant addition to Bourgault’s product lineup.
It was first announced by Bourgault in late 2023 and shown to the public during field day season that spring, before a series of demo days were held in Western Australia during 2024.
The year ahead is tipped to be a big one for the 4420 DKD, with the unit now in full production and ready for a large-scale rollout onto Australian farms.
Bourgault’s 4420 DKD is designed to excel at depth, with the front fertiliser knife being optimised to work at depths of 12cm to 16.5cm below the surface.
This is a key point of difference from other knives in the Bourgault range, the company says, which have typically been designed for a maximum digging depth of two or three inches (5cm to 7.5cm).
It is followed by a seed placing closer that is parallel with a packing wheel, with customer feedback praising the seed placement and good germination of the planted crops thanks to some of the DKD’s design features.
It is available in 12m and 18m working widths, with both sizes crucially folding to 5.5m for road transport.
The ability to carry up to 5,400L of liquid on board is another benefit for broadacre farmers, as this reduces filling time.
There is also a heavy-duty forward shank with on-the-go adjustable hydraulic breakout between 68kg and 450kg, plus a 16mm wide knife point.
Other features include a ground-following 1:1 contour ratio, easy packing pressure adjustment with a cordless impact driver, easy depth adjustment with a simple handle and pin, a floating hitch to ensure optimal depth control and superior tracking, plus large tyres and a steerable front axle.
Big deal
The DKD is not the only product that Bourgault has manufactured specifically for the Australian market.
In recent years, the company has also developed its frame mounted seeders and hydraulic variable breakouts specifically for Australia and conducted considerable prototype testing on local farms before rolling these out.
Bourgault’s engineering skill and experience not only benefits the wider customer base through this ability to develop machines that suit Australian conditions, but also enables them to modify existing products for individual requirements.
Seeding equipment is Bourgault’s specialty, with much of it boasting an impressive size that Australian growers are seeing benefits from.
Bourgault produces air carts with world-leading capacities exceeding 45,000L, meaning farmers can seed for longer without needing to refill.
Its 91300 air cart has a total capacity of 45,810L split across its four tanks, with other models in the same series offering 33,470L and 22,900L capacities.
Each tank has individual weigh scales to help farmers know exactly how much product is being distributed, ensuring accuracy and precision in terms of not overapplying or underapplying.
Despite the sheer size of the air carts, these have thoughtfully been designed with a large range of tyre options to help reduce soil compaction.
The 9000 Series of air carts, which the 91300 forms part of, can also be paired with the 4420 DKD.
This compatibility plays into Bourgault’s wider philosophy of providing big machines for big jobs.
With ongoing staff shortages impacting Australian agriculture, Bourgault says having one large machine rather than several smaller ones carries significant benefits.
Bourgault’s range of seeding and tillage equipment includes air carts, coulter and hoe drills, openers, the deep knife drill, frame mounted seeders and mid row applicators.
The companys full range can be viewed online at www.bourgault.com/en-au