Discs show significant improvements in beef cattle farming and mixed farming.
We caught up with Rob Conron of Heytesbury Regen Ag (Irrewillipe, Vic) and Dave Copeland (Dunedoo, NSW). The guys gave us their feedback on the RYAN NT discs on their beef cattle farming and mixed farming enterprises.
Mr Copeland’s Agrowdrill has been set up with the RYAN NT Retrofit Double Discs for almost two years and has done between 1800 to 2000 acres.
He previously ran curly tines and would get about a thousand acres out of the points on them.
“I'm thinking I'll get another year out of the disc plates before I have to put new ones on,” he said.
“My way of thinking says it's a cheaper expense than re-shoeing.”
Dave Copeland and his Agrowdrill with RYAN NT Discs
A win for beef cattle farmers and sowing pastures
Mr Copeland runs a mixed farming enterprise with a lot of fodder cropping. He swapped over mainly to avoid burning stubble and to sow into paddocks with lucerne and similar without busting it up like tynes would.
Mr Copeland explains that he used the discs to sow pastures such as oats.
“We sowed native natural country as well,” he said.
“So far, I'm quite pleased with it.
“I haven't had any issue with rocks, and we do have basalt country – so we do have rock!
“If we’re in real bad stuff, we just pull the machine back and let it idle.
“It's really easy to pull compared to a tyne.
“It just rolls along.”
Dave Copeland's Agrowdrill with RYAN NT Discs
Affordable low maintenance systems assists beef cattle farming and mixed farming businesses
When asked about the bearings in the disc hubs, Mr Copeland explained that he had no bearing issues in the two years of using them.
“When we finished our main sowing, we went through and gave all the bearings a couple of pumps”, he said.
There was no movement in the bearings at all.
“It’s been good.
“I'm happy with them”.
Mr Copeland further explained that this will probably be the first year they have had extremely wet conditions compared to previous dry years.
“This will be the first year where I won’t burn anything,” he said.
“We’ll just be able to go straight in.
“Which will be good.”
Dave Copeland's Agrowdrill with RYAN NT Discs
Discs allow beef cattle farmers to operate in wider range of conditions.
Rob Conron of Heytesbury Regen Ag focuses on multi-species pastures for grazing and their benefits to soil health. Mr Conron is a beef cattle farmer with a contracting business on the side. He fitted the discs on his Agrowdrill to allow his drill to operate effectively in a wider range of conditions. Depending on the conditions and client, he alternates between the discs and his SoilKee pasture renovator machine.
Rob Conron on his Irrewillipe (VIC) property
“I’m very happy with the discs – their ability to cut through heavy trash was great,” he said.
“As soon as my neighbours found out I had the discs, I started getting jobs they could not handle with their equipment.
“One of the jobs was a failed sorghum paddock, where some areas were shoulder height.
“I sowed oats into it with the discs with no problems.”
Rob Conron's Agrowdrill sowing into thick trash with RYAN NT Discs
Sowing multi-species pastures for local farmers is the core business of Hetesbury Regen Ag
Mr Conron found that the Baker boots on his Agrowdrill would often block in trashy conditions, leaving the paddock with a less-than-optimal seed bed.
“The RYAN NT Retrofit discs allowed me to sow in these conditions, as the Baker boots couldn’t have handled the conditions, and I would have had to pass on some of the jobs I did this autumn,” he explained.
Mr Conron also explained how he enjoyed the reduced draft requirements from the discs, noting he “had to use the brakes more, as the tynes used stop the machine dead, as soon as you engaged the clutch.”
“Now it keeps on rolling, and you need brakes to stop!
“Although I can't put a figure on it, I'm sure I used less fuel, wear on tyres, etc.
“The only thing I didn’t get to test this season, was handling the normally wet conditions in South West Victoria.
“Many of my jobs were sown dry this year and all the paddocks came up nicely.”
He finished by saying how he appreciated the support from Paul Ryan during the installation process.
Rob Conron's Agrowdrill sowing into thick trash with RYAN NT Discs
The discs can suit many models and brands...
RYAN NT Small Direct Drill Seeder and Pasture Seeder retrofit disc system will fit most brands and models from the last 40 years, including AFM, Allan Johns, Agrowdrill, Chamberlin, Connor Shea, Davimac, Duncan, Horwood Bagshaw, Gyral, International, John Shearer, John Deere and Napier Grasslands. For more retrofit disc examples click here.
Contact RYAN NT today for the number one retrofit disc system for direct drill seeders.
