GRAZIERS can now access the machinery responsible for the vibrant pastures of the emerald isle.
Duncan Ag has introduced two new machines from Ireland, giving farmers more options to rejuvenate pasture and aerate their soils.
The deal to distribute the Alstrong Auctus overseeder and aerator was struck following a trip by Duncan Ag chief executive Craig McIsaac to a field day in County Kildare, Ireland.
Mr McIsaac said he believed the machines offered something different to what other manufacturers offered in Australia and New Zealand.
The Alstrong company was set up by Irish farmer and agricultural engineer Alan Winters. Mr Winters designs and builds the machines himself and tests them on his own farm, said Mr McIsaac.
Mr McIssac said the three metre wide pasture rejuvenator has a unique design that allowed it to carry out several operations in one pass.
“It can be used in sprayed out pasture or cultivated ground,” he said.
“It has 10 individually sprung levelling boards that scarify and scratch the surface to remove dead grass, expose the soil and create a shallow seed bed,” he said.
Mr McIssac said the heavy duty roller drum with teeth would break up surface pugging and allow air and water to enter the surface layer of the soil, after which an airseeder broadcasts the seeds behind the roller and it could be fitted with grass harrow finger tines or heavy duty prismatic rings.
Her said the machine comes standard with a French-made Delimbe air seeder or Duncan Ag can fit it with an APV seeding unit, said Mr McIssac.
Mr McIssac said the Alstrong aerator has a unique design based on a large drum with 15cm blades that can break up soil pans and shatter the soil structure to a depth of 30cm when used in dry conditions at the correct speed.
He said the aerators are versatile and can also be used to prepare a seedbed in ploughed ground or they can be fitted with a broadcast seeder.
“There are a number of benefits to aerating pasture.”
“By reducing compaction from stock and equipment it increases tolerance to drought, releases nitrogen in the soil, and improves surface drainage,” he said.