Vesco Agricultural Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clean Seed Capital Group, a Company that is at the forefront of an ecological movement that strives to balance productivity with sustainability.

 

Clean Seed is uniquely positioned to contribute to and benefit from a rapidly emerging market opportunity in the sustainable agricultural sector.

 

 

Vesco Opener Models

 

Vesco no-till technology is scalable to the needs of individual farmers - from the small developing nations’ farmer to large farm operations. Our technology includes the following distinct patented opener models that have application in specific soil conditions and market environments:

Mark VII Opener – is original equipment on most machine models.  The canards on the replaceable tip, a standard feature on the Mark VII, assist in drawing the blade into the ground as well as agitating the soil below the surface immediately prior to the placement of seed.

 

 

 

Mark III Opener – an entry level opener that is standard equipment on machines designed for developing nations as well as small 5 foot smallholdings machines.  Design of the Mark III Opener allows for the simultaneous placement of seeds and fertilizer creating a perfect environment for seed germination and emergence.

 

 

 

 

Vesco Openers

The “in-ground” and most important component of the Vesco seeding system is known as the opener.  Because of the revolutionary design of the opener, it cuts into the soil in the shape of a “T”, in-line with the direction of travel.  As the opener passes through the soil, a narrow vertical cut is sliced open to the width of the opener blade (only 1” wide as compared to up to 10” for other machinery).  At the same time, at a precisely controlled depth, a horizontal subsurface cut is made by the “bio-wings”, located on each side of the opener, creating two shelves on either side of the vertical cut.  The vertical cut extends a further 2” below the horizontal seed shelves.  The engineered design of the opener causes a reaction of the soil to the opener passing through it, causing seeds placed through the opener to be drawn to the extreme outer edge of the horizontal shelves.

 

The three independent apertures of the MKIII and MKVII openers allows for individual placement of up to three different seeds, fertilizers or liquids, in any combination, through each single opener.

 

When coupled with our metering system the opener’s unique “triple-shot” capability allows each of three different products (one or more seed type, dry fertilizer, liquid fertilizer or other liquid) to be individually metered and simultaneously delivered through independent

delivery tubes to the openers. 

 

Each product is placed in precise, separate locations in the ground.  This unique feature gives farmers the option to simultaneously plant two separate crops, for example an early cover crop and a later main crop at the same time as placing deep banded fertilizer or simultaneously placing seed, side banding fertilizer and deep banding fertilizer.  The pictures below show seed placed on the horizontal shelves and fertilizer placed at the bottom of the vertical cut.

 

 

Vesco Opener Slot Shape

 

 

 

 

What is different about your openers?

Our openers create horizontal soil slots (for seed and fertilizer)plus a vertical slot below the seed shelves for deep banding of fertilizer isolated from the seeds whereas most other openers create either vertical or slanted slots and most are for seed only.

What is the significance of your openers creating horizontal slots?

Vertical and even slanted slots are very difficult to close, especially in damp soils. With the horizontal slots the seed is tucked under a horizontal flap of soil at the time that the slot is created, ensuring the seed is always covered whilst at the same time the vertical fertilizer slot is covered.

Do horizontal slots have any other advantages?

Yes, with the our opener Technology there are several. They ensure that the seed micro-environment can be controlled almost regardless of soil conditions, and they permit fertilizer to be placed in bands that are separated horizontally and/or vertically from the seed.

In what ways does the opener retain soil humidity?

The biggest issue is how the slot is closed. With the opener technology horizontal slots two flaps of soil are raised by the wings of the opener as it travels along, creating two horizontal shelves, one each side of  the opener blade. Seed and or fertilizer are placed separately on each of these shelves and the flaps of soil are then folded back over the seed and or fertilizer. If the flaps of soil are also covered with crop residue this traps the humidity under the flaps. At the same time, if fertilizer deep banding is the preferred choice, our our opener technology will then place the fertilizer in the vertical deep band slot.

What happens if the soil shrinks after seeding and the slot opens up as a result?

Shrinkage of this nature is unavoidable on occasions with all no-tillage openers. But even though the vertical portion of the T-slot may open just as all other slots do, if you place a small humidity probe down the vertical part of the slot and then into the horizontal part (as scientists have done) you might find a low humidity zone in the vertical part but there will be a high humidity zone under the soil/residue flaps in the horizontal shelves. Because the seeds are located in this horizontal zone they remain in a high humidity zone whereas with all other openers it is difficult to avoid seeds being placed in the low-humidity vertical zone.

But if the seeds are tucked off to one side under a flap of soil, how do they emerge?

In circumstances where the central slit of the slot shrinks open and the seeds are under a flap to one side, the seedlings will initially grow sideways until they are in the open slit, and then they will grow vertically. There are many examples showing that this is what happens. The end result is a perfectly healthy plant that would otherwise have died in other no-tilled slots.

 

FERTILIZER PLACEMENT

 

Can fertilizer placement influence crop yield potential?

Yes, another major determinant of crop yield is how well the plants are fed and this is influenced by fertilizer placement at the time of sowing.

In a survey of no-till experts in the USA in the early 1990’s, all agreed that the single most important feature they would like to see on no-till openers, was the ability to place (band) fertilizer separately at the time of seeding. Our openers provide a facility in this respect.

The Vesco openers are unique in their ability to band fertilizer horizontally and/or vertically (deep band) with the same opener that sows the seed.