INVESTING in a new seeding bar has resulted in more even crop germination and consistent growth across the board for the O'Meagher family, who farm between Kununoppin and Nungarin in Eastern Wheatbelt.
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Brad O'Meagher, with his wife Kristina, children Logan, River and Freya and parents Tom and Janine, run a mixed farming enterprise comprising 75 per cent cropping and 25pc Merino sheep at their Tranmere and Coolabine properties, along with two other leased properties in the Nungarin and Trayning shires.
The farms feature medium soils through to predominantly red loams and heavy red clays.
A crop rotation of three years to wheat and one year to barley before a break back to pasture has generally been maintained on the properties.
With an increasing proportion of their cropping program being dry-sown in recent seasons, it had been putting greater pressure on the spring tynes of their John Deere 1820 Air Hoe Drill.
Mr O'Meagher said there were a number of Morris C2 Contour drills performing well in the region and after considering various leading bars, they were attracted to the Morris Quantum air drill, which he said "blitzed the field'' with its frame.
"The frame technology was the main feature that drew us to the Quantum," Mr O'Meagher said.
"It was the design, weight, strength, big flotation tyres and the way it folded narrowly."
The unique interlocking frame technology with the Quantum has made it 154 per cent stronger than previous drills, while its narrow 5.4-metre transport width is expected to be increasingly important as WA transport regulations change.
"We travel a fair way from north to south on the property, getting up to 30 kilometres, so the narrower width is very important,'' Mr O'Meagher said.
He said the move to a hydraulic tyne system was the other big step for their cropping program.
"We saw the Quantum as a bit of a unique unit - not just a C-shank with a hydraulic ram, but rather an adaption to precision without going fully to a deep ripping tyne," he said.
The O'Meaghers' 18m Quantum air drill was set on 30-centimetre tyne spacings with a paired row boot system and they used the Morris Jem controller to adjust hydraulic pressures rather than opt for the manufacturer's auto-lift and pack control.
Mr O'Meagher said while the system completed their cropping program smoothly, Morris and Australian distributor, McIntosh Distribution, had committed to update the openers on their air drill as part of a recently announced national product improvement program.
"McIntosh Distribution and the local Morris dealer have already showed us the new opener and what they will be doing," he said.
"They really back their product and the support has been really good.
"They have been proactive and right on the front foot, which was good.
"They also came out during seeding to check on things.
"Some dealerships can drop a bar off and you don't see them for the rest of the year.''
The Quantum air drill and a triple bin John Deere air cart was pulled comfortably by the family's 436-kilowatt (585-horspower) Challenger MT875C tractor, which has a power boost to 470kW (630hp).
The Quantum drilled to a depth of 7.5cm in dry conditions and about 12.5cm into moist soil, maintaining a sowing depth of 2.5cm and placing compound fertiliser close to the seed whilst deep banding urea fertiliser.
The O'Meaghers also continue to operate an older Flexi-Coil bar with another John Deere air cart, however it was not used for about two weeks during the dry period.
"When it got dry and tough we parked it up, otherwise it would have been shaken to bits,'' Mr O'Meagher said.
The majority of the family's cropping program was dry-sown, with the last 1400 hectares of pasture rotation completed after opening rains started to fall from June 6.
"All of the crop the Quantum planted was really good, even germination," he said.
"You definitely see the improvement because it keeps everything where you want it to be.
"Other bars might hit heavy country and the crop there might not come up until later due to the variability with a spring tyne system."
Mr O'Meagher said the even germination would help to maximise crop productivity in every paddock.
"From top to bottom with every paddock, you are able to get consistency," he said.
"From one end of the farm to the other, everything is the same.''
Mr O'Meagher said they were keen to view the new openers on their air drill and, with the hope of kind seasons for crop production, they could be looking to add another Quantum to their seeding fleet soon.
The O'Meaghers have recorded 156 millimetres of rainfall so far this year, including 20mm prior to the growing season.
