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All-new Morris Quantum air drill to change agricultural landscape

Morris has unveiled its brand-new Quantum air drill designed to be 154 per cent stronger than previous drills

The Morris Quantum launch
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  • 75 per cent fewer parts and 60 per cent fewer weldments

  • Three-metre controlled traffic capability with metric spacings and 5.4m transport width

  • One-piece packer arm

Launched last week at the Canada Farm Progress Show, Saskatchewan, the Quantum drill has been labelled a ‘game changer’ for Australia.

McIntosh Distribution’s director of national distributor for Morris, Cam McIntosh, says the Quantum’s patent-pending, interlocking frame technology makes it 154 per cent stronger. Combined with increased weight and stronger openers that feature 205cm chrome pins, this allows farmers to confidently dig deeper.

“In Canada, the Quantum was initially torture tested over 800 hectares of stony country without a fault, and so far in Australia this season it has undergone rigorous testing over nearly 10,000ha with a similar result,” McIntosh says.

“Due to the dry start of the season this year, it was some of the toughest conditions farmers had ever worked tillage into, with absolutely no moisture down at depth, and it worked for them extremely well.

“On 30cm spacings, they were working 10cm deep and seeding at 1.5-2cm, and they were consistently achieving that in a wide variety of conditions.

“Neighbouring farmers who had to stop seeding due to the conditions and viewed the Quantum acknowledged that if they had something similar, they would still have been seeding.”

Morris Industries president and CEO Ben Voss says the Quantum air drill represents a massive shift from the company’s earlier approach and brought world-class manufacturing technology to agriculture.

“It comes to market built with the same practical, hands-on producer ‘learnings’ that have been a foundation of our company,” he says.

Voss says the state-of-the-art air drill will deliver improved durability, productivity and agronomic performance.

“Through innovative design and proprietary manufacturing technology, we have developed an air drill with significantly improved frame strength.”

Other features of the Quantum include the new 10 x 15cm tubular frames that are connected with chrome pins and are 27 per cent larger than previous tubes. The redesigned heavy hitch also uses 20 per cent more steel than previous hitches, while the company says its new and larger stainless-steel divider heads have increased lifespans as they are less prone to plugging. 

Morris corporate agronomist Garth Massie says the design and manufacturing improvements would allow farmers to plant more hectares per day and deliver agronomic benefits.

“At the end of the day, it’s about performance. The first and most important step in maximising yield potential is rapid, uniform crop emergence,” he says. “Poorly established crops never achieve their full yield potential.

“Consistent depth control, seed and fertiliser separation and soil-seed contact are the dominant factors that influence rapid, uniform crop emergence and minimise seed mortality.

“The Quantum drill’s design results in the most precise depth control and ground following among independent hoe-opener drills – a key component in rapid, uniform crop emergence for maximised yield potential,” he adds.

The Morris Quantum Launch
 

He said the row unit utilised parallel linkage with a 1:1 opener-to-packer ratio, while the Quantum drill’s trash flow characteristics also improved agronomic performance.

Adapted from the industry-leading trash flow design of the Morris C2 Contour, the Quantum raises the lowest catch point on the opener by 60 per cent and reclines the opener shank 12 degrees, allowing farmers to plant in taller stubble without sacrificing seed placement precision.

“Eliminating bunching and piles of crop residue collecting on the shank of the opener is important during shallow seeding,” Massie says.

“These residue bunches interfere with the flow of soil around the opener and filling the furrow before packing, resulting in uncovered seed and spotty germination.”

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