MAPLETON, N.D. — HORSCH, a global manufacturer of seeding, planting, tillage, and application equipment, announces an expansion of its Maestro row crop planter line. In spring 2020 HORSCH will launch the all-new Maestro SV row crop planter platform into the North American marketplace, featuring 12- and 16-row planters with 30-inch row spacing. Engineered and built at the company's Mapleton, North Dakota, facility, the SV series will showcase many of the planting innovations pioneered by HORSCH for fast, efficient seeding with maximum agronomic integrity.

“From the time we launched the larger Maestro SW series planter in North America in 2013, we have had the vision of incorporating our planter technology into a compact platform to focus in on the 30- and 40-foot planter markets. The new Maestro SV brings that vision to life,” says Jeremy Hughes, Product Manager for HORSCH. “When we started the design vision of the new Maestro SV, we started with the same principle agronomic fundamentals as the Maestro SW: superior seed placement, furrow/seedbed integrity, and capitalizing on the optimum planting window."

The Maestro SV, as with every Maestro planter around the world, comes standard with a weight transfer system. Pioneered by HORSCH on earlier Maestro platforms, the weight transfer system takes the weight of the chassis and distributes it evenly across the toolbar. “We hear a lot in the industry today about row unit ride quality, or row unit stability, as we call it,” says Hughes. “Before you can even start thinking about stabilizing the row unit for precise seed depth placement, however, you first must stabilize the toolbar. It’s common sense…to apply down pressure there needs to be a constant stabilized toolbar to push up against."

Another distinct advantage with the weight transfer system is the ability to lighten weight on the chassis tires. “Pinch rows are probably one of the biggest hidden yield robbers in modern corn production,” says Hughes. “The Maestro SV’s weight transfer system aids in eliminating pinch row compaction that can rob yields by maintaining uniformity in soil structure as you plant.”

The Maestro SV also features hydraulic row unit down pressure as a standard feature for maintaining precise seed depth placement to secure maximum yield potential. The AutoForce system, which regulates down force automatically pending soil density characteristics, is an option.

“Every year we have new challenges to manage during spring planting, and this year was no exception,” relates Hughes. “The new Maestro SV1230 features 110 bushels of seed carrying capacity and 400 gallons of liquid, while the SV1630 offers 110 bushels of seed capacity and 600 gallons of liquid for more time spent planting and less time filling to capitalize on your optimum planting window.”

Increased flexibility in uneven field terrain is incorporated into the new toolbar design. “The Maestro SV features 25 degrees up and 22 degrees down total flexibility on a three-section toolbar, giving it the most flexibility compared to other planters in its class,” explains Hughes.

The Maestro SV includes many other standard features for precision farming. The proven HORSCH electric meter drives ensure pin-point accuracy with seed singulation, individual row shut-off eliminates double-planting, and curve compensation maintains row-to-row population around curves. All Maestro SV planters are ISOBUS compatible. Options include a variation of seed firming devices, row markers, seed tank scale system, gauge wheel styles, liquid system with sectional control, and a variety of discs for various crops.

The new Maestro SV series from HORSCH will be available in spring 2020. Please contact your local HORSCH dealer or email info.us@horsch.com for more details.