Different soils call for flexibility

Close to the Belgian border, Dutch farming company Franzen Landbouw was hard at work in late April, planting the last Brabant (region) hectares of potatoes. Thanks to the favourable spring weather and the arrival of two new Certa 40 Integral planters, progress was swift. Dewulf’s cutting-edge technology allows for extremely precise planting — without being overly complex for the driver.

This season, Franzen Landbouw from Dirksland (South Holland) planted a total of 220 hectares of potatoes. From the end of March, employee Wilbert Koijck entered the fields in Baarle-Nassau with a Fendt 728 Vario, fitted with a HeGro Agri Service front cultivator and a Certa 40 Integral planter. The Challenger variety was planted along with 10 kg/ha of Nemathorin granules against nematodes and wireworms.

New planters

Due to increased acreage, Franzen Landbouw went for new planters. “We were already working with a Miedema CP 42 trailed planter and a Dewulf Kwatro harvester,” says Koijck. “But we wanted machines that were more agile. A tighter turning radius helps preserve our headlands. That’s how we came across the Certa through dutch dealer Steenbergen Mechanisatie.”

The Certa 40 Integral is a mounted four-row cup planter with integrated rotary cultivator, allowing for single-pass planting with high accuracy. Nine depth control wheels ensure an even weight distribution. Combined with the angle sensor on the hood, which controls the hydraulic depth wheels, this results in automatic depth control. Each planting element is hydraulically driven and the planting channel is adjustable.

“All of it is now controlled electrically — which is great. You can make real-time adjustments from the cab,” Koijck explains. Using the ISOBUS touchscreen, he adjusts the planting depth and spacing depending on tuber size. This enables variable planting and tramline creation, which is frequently applied on the company’s clay fields.

Different soils, reliable output

“With varying soil types, this machine’s flexibility is a real asset.” A second screen gives the operator a four-angle view of the planting process, making it easy to spot and resolve any duplicates in the planting channel. At the end of each row, the Row-Stop GPS section control switches off the elements automatically.

Finetuning pays off

Franzen Landbouw already ran a demo Certa 40 Integral last year. Since then, various fine-tuning improvements have been implemented. A recent update links software with the built-in weighing cells, allowing for easy weight calibration when loading the hopper — so no more unnecessary weight on the field.

“This is how you work responsibly with both your soil and your machine. That really matters to us.” According to Koijck, the planters performed well. “It’s a major investment, so it has to deliver. And it does. I'd rate it a solid nine for now — and we’re working closely with Dewulf to fine-tune everything even more.”