RACINE, Wis. – Case IH announced a series of new air seeding products and monitoring systems for the 2018 season. 

The Case IH Precision Disk 500T single disk air drill features an on-board mounted 70- or 100-bushel tank with seed metering, and four-section overlap control. New for 2018, producers can add tank-mounted weigh scales. Tank weighs are accessible through the Case IH Advanced Farming Systems AFS Pro 700 display or other compatible displays. A display on the rear tank platform also provides on-the-go weight readouts. 

Optional tank lights also are available for the Precision Disk 500T single disk air drill to help extend the workday while improving operator safety.

For high-capacity air seeding, the Precision Disk 500 air drill and Case IH Precision Air 5 series air carts are available. Tow-behind or tow-between configurations and capacities ranging from 350 to 950 bushels match larger drills and higher-horsepower tractors. Precision Air 5 series air carts feature a modular metering control system that places seed and fertilizer. The air carts also feature an AFS AccuSection modular metering control system for crop input use.

“Precision Disk air drill row units feature a parallel-link system,” says Trent Nowosad, Case IH marketing manager for seeding equipment. “The upper and lower arm ensure even depth placement across varying soil conditions.”

New for 2018 is a grease point for the packer arm on the Precision Disk 500 and 500T row unit. This change improves packer arm movement. A new extended-wear gauge wheel option provides added durability and longevity. The front hitch on both models now also includes a hose holder that stores hydraulic lines and electrical connections when the drill is not hitched to a tractor.

An optional wireless flow blockage monitoring system — now available for the Precision Disk 500, Flex Hoe 400 and Flex Hoe 700 air drills — uses acoustic sensors to “listen” for the sound of seed and fertilizer flow.

“A user interface via an iPad app displays all manifold runs and provides an alert if a run becomes blocked,” Nowosad says. “This interface provides real-time continuous blockage status updates and tracks blockage history by manifold and individual run to help pinpoint issues.”

For high capacity seeding and high-horsepower tractors, Case IH is expanding its Flex Hoe 700 lineup with an 80-foot width offering. The new Flex Hoe 700 features a fold-back design; 10- or 12-inch trip spacing configurations; rubber or steel press wheels and optional high-flotation tires.