The Smart Hitch – Increase Yields by Seeding Between Stubble Rows (June 13, 2005)

For the first time ever, farmers can now seed between rows of standing stubble without tearing into the stubble rows and dragging straw over the seed bed. Straw Track Manufacturing has unveiled new direct seeding technology called the Smart Hitch – a hitch attachment for all Seed Master zero till drills. It keeps the hoe openers centred between the stubble rows allowing farmers to seed easily into taller stubble, which research has proven can boost crop yields.

Higher Yields


Ongoing research by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, has found seeding into stubble up to 18 inches or higher in semi-arid climates can increase average crop yields by as much as 17% for canola, pulses, and spring wheat. Cutting stubble higher traps more snow and shelters seedlings from the wind, reducing evaporation and keeping plants warmer. Field tests by PAMI have proven cutting higher (up to 20 inches) speeds harvest operations by up to 50%, saving time and money.


Staying between the rows also gives you a cleaner seed bed, better seed to soil contact and more consistent seed depth, leading to a more uniform crop that competes better against weeds, says Dr. Guy Lafond, a research scientist with AAFC in Indian Head, Saskatchewan.


Sensor “Feels” its Way


The Smart Hitch features a sensor that feels out the furrows from the previous year’s crop. The sensor has two metal disks that straddle the furrow. When one disk drops lower than the other, even slightly, it activates an electric signal that triggers two heavy duty hydraulic rams to push or pull the seed drill back into alignment, keeping the disks running parallel and the openers positioned precisely between the stubble rows.


“Until now, technology has not been available to make between-the-row seeding possible,” says Norbert Beaujot, P. Eng., the agricultural engineer who created the Smart Hitch. “I developed the first prototype of the Smart Hitch six years ago and I’ve been seeding between tall stubble rows successfully with it on my farm in Langbank, Saskatchewan, ever since.”


During that time, Beaujot improved the Smart Hitch design and made it more durable before releasing it to the market this spring. “My average yields have increased 15% with the Smart Hitch in stubble up to 24 inches high,” he says, adding his farm is located in a dark brown soil zone which is cooler and wetter than Swift Current, but the impact of tall stubble on his yields has been just as dramatic.

For more information, please contact Straw Track Manufacturing at 1-888-721-3001 or 1-306-721-3001. Straw Track Manufacturing is located just outside Regina, Saskatchewan at #1 South Plains Rd. West, Emerald Park, S4L 1C6, or visit www.strawtrack.ca.