A new world record has been set, whereby over 500ha of maize was sown in a marathon 24-hour planting experiment in western Hungary.
Using a Case IH Magnum 380 CVX tractor pulling a Swedish-made Vaderstad Tempo L planter, the team broke the previous, five-year-old world record by over 50ha – sowing 502.05ha in 24 hours.
The old record of 448.29ha had stood since 2012, having been set that spring in western Russia by a Claas Xerion 5000 and a Horsch planter.
This time around, the Case IH tractor and Vaderstad planter covered the 500ha at speeds of up to 24kph using auto-steering technology and the tractor maker’s proprietary cell guidance network to stay on course, planting rows 30in apart.
Case IH said its Magnum 380 CVX’s continuously-variable transmission allowed quick turnarounds at the end of each row.
“The Magnum 380 CVX was chosen for the record attempt not only for its fuel efficiency and ease of use, but also as it helped to quickly accelerate the tractor and implement up to the optimum working speed – when pulling away from the headland at the beginning of each pass,” Case IH said in a press release.
“With 221L/min of oil flow available from the tractor, the Magnum 380 CVX also provided plenty of hydraulic flow to ensure the planter’s fans were never short of oil.”
And while it might have been a speedy affair, the team said its maize planting was as good as anyone else’s and would be harvested.
“While this was a record attempt, it was done to exact agronomic guidelines, ensuring that the maize was planted with the same care and attention to detail – in terms of seed spacing and depth – that any farmer would use,” Case IH added.
