Cultivation Work and Drilling
Keeping a farm in good condition is hard work, and it needs to be done right. Our cultivation and drilling services help you establish crops properly from the start.
- Cultivation farming solutions to create an ideal seedbed for successful crops
- Precision drilling for accurate seed placement and improved germination
- Flexible machinery options operated by experienced professionals
- Efficient turnaround to match your farm’s schedule and weather windows
Looking to get crops off to the right start? Speak to our team to discuss your requirements.
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What is Cultivation in Agriculture?
Cultivation work refers to the agricultural service that prepares your land for planting. This is often done through a method called tilling the land, that is usually used to prepare for the planting of large vegetable garden or crops. This can seem like a mammoth task and can be difficult to complete with a reduced team, even across a small acreage. Therefore recruiting farming services from agricultural service providers, such as AWSM Farming, can vastly increase the turnaround of your project.
Crop cultivation work requires the use of cultivators to ensure that soil types and conditions are catered for effectively and producing the best results for the farm land. There are some different ways to cultivate land, which will change depending on if the soil is already suitable for planting or if this non-agricultural land.
Our Cultivators
At AWSM Farming, our agricultural services encompass a full range of cultivators, which are available, accompanied by an experienced farming professional if necessary. Our cultivators are available to suit all soil options and types of farming work.
Vaderstad Topdown
Our Vaderstad Topdown is fitted with a set of discs, auto reset legs, some levelling star wheel disc, and a steel packer to the rear. This can be used with a variety of width points and wings to suit a variety of soil conditions. An optional Biodrill can be mounted on the back of the cultivator; this will allow seed that is dropped in front of the rear packer to pick up oil seed rape in one pass, which is useful when timings of sowing are critical.
Vaderstad Carrier
Our Vaderstad Carrier comes equipped with a set of discs, a levelling board and a steel packer roller on the back of the machine. This cultivator has proven to be useful following agricultural services such as ploughing. This cultivator is particularly effective in medium conditions, in order to prepare a seedbed for the Vaderstad Rapid Drill. It can also be used to improve conditions ahead of the use of a combination drill, which can rapidly increase farming work rates. This cultivator can be used to cultivate stubbles; this allows farmers to extract a chit of the plants in order to create a stale seedbed.
Vaderstad Rexius Twin Press
Our Vaderstad Rexius Twin Press machine is equipped with heavy duty levelling board and a heavy duty twin cast ring press, to the back. This cultivator is the ideal choice for shaping heavy land and ploughing this into the correct shape for future drilling activity.
Terratech 3 Leg Auto-Reset Subsoiler
The Terratech Subsoiler is equipped with three auto reset legs, which are spaced at 100 cm and fitted with the same points as the Sumo Subsoiler. This cultivator is followed by a heavy duty packer roller. The machinery can be operated at a range of depths, up to and including 45 cm, which is dependant on where the compaction area lies.
Our agricultural services include the optional use of a Dickie John Penetrometer, which can be used to assess compaction depths when required. This cultivator is ideal for sorting compaction, following inclement or damp conditions, particularly after long bouts of storms and rain.
Ploughs
AWSM Farming has a number of ploughs available to cater to your agricultural service requirements. We currently have five Furrow varying width ploughs, which are all completed with auto-reset bodies. All of our ploughs can be operated by a medium-sized tractor and are suitable and manoeuvrable enough to cater to an average or medium-sized field.
Drilling
Our drilling services are available to cater for the accurate dispersion of seeds for optimum crop growth. Our drilling machinery allows for accurate measurement to ensure an equal distribution of the seeds and makes the overall process quicker and more effective. We can cater for both large-scale or smaller scale drilling requirements.
All drilling agricultural services are carried out through the use of tractors fitted with floatation tyres. Our fitted GPS automatic steering systems provide an accurate to within 5cm overlap, which provides our customers with tramlines that are reduced to a minimum. The subsequent application of fertiliser and spray applications can then be applied more accurately due to less overlap.
Amazone Combination Drill
To cater for a variety of agricultural services, we offer a 3m or 4m Power Harrow combination drilling. Our most recent addition to our collection of drilling machinery is the Amazone Combination Drill. This drill comes equipped with heavy-duty disc coulters, these allow even seed depth placement, regardless of the soil type, meaning it is effective in even the tough soil conditions.
Vaderstad Rapid RD400s
The Vaderstad Rapid RD400S is capable of providing coverage across vast acreage, ideal for large farming properties and more extensive agricultural services. The machine is fitted, on the front, with system discs, which allow this drill to be used either directly or following a plow or cultivating machinery. This machine also allows farmers to perform slot seeding of grass if required.
How Our Cultivation Service Works
- Initial discussion – We assess your fields, soil conditions, crop plans and timings.
- Planning – Cultivation and drilling operations are scheduled around weather and workload.
- Operation – Crops are established efficiently by experienced operators.
- Follow-up – Ongoing support or additional passes if required.
Our aim is to make cultivating farming straightforward, dependable and well-timed.
Best Practice & Soil Care
All work is carried out following best practice, with attention to:
- Soil structure and compaction management
- Accurate seed placement and depth control
- Minimising unnecessary soil disturbance
- Working in suitable conditions to protect land
This ensures consistent results while supporting long-term soil performance.
FAQs
How did the seed drill improve farming?
The seed drill improved farming and the efficiency of the planting seeds. Before the seed drill, seeds would be planted by hand, either pushed into the soil or thrown on top. As many didn’t take root, being able to plant seeds quickly and without damaging the soil surface increased the yield of crops significantly. While the original seed drill may look very different from today’s version, the application is very much the same.
How does the seed drill work?
A modern seed drill places seeds directly in the soil with as little disruption to the soil as possible to encourage the seed to take root. A plough cuts through the earth as the drill moves forwards, leaving an even furrow, after which the seed hopper drops seeds one at a time into the furrow from its reservoir of seeds. At the back of the seed drill, a harrow pushes soil back onto the seeds, leaving them covered in the ground.
What’s the difference between cultivator and seed drill?
A cultivator is used to prepare the soil before planting by loosening and levelling the ground, which helps to create the right conditions for seeds to grow. A seed drill is used after cultivation and places seeds directly into the soil at the correct depth and spacing. To summarise, the cultivator prepares the ground and the seed drill plants the crops.
What crops do you drill?
We drill a wide range of crops depending on the farm and the season. This typically includes cereals such as wheat, barley and oats as well as oilseed rape, beans and grass seed. If you are unsure whether we can drill a specific crop, we are always happy to discuss it with you.
How do you manage tight weather windows?
We understand that weather can change quickly during drilling season. Our team plans work carefully, stays flexible and mobilises quickly when conditions are right. By using reliable equipment and experienced operators, we aim to complete drilling efficiently during shirt weather windows without compromising quality.
Do you cover both small and large farms?
Yes, we work with both small and large farms, whether you need drilling on a single field or across a large land area, we tailor our service to suit the size and needs of your operation.
Can you match drilling to my existing cropping plan?
Yes, we work closely with you to understand your existing cropping plan and timings. Drilling can be matched to your rotation, soil type, and preferred establishment method, helping to ensure the crop fits smoothly into your wider farming system.
