Lemken high-output drill increases opportunities to combat black-grass

A new low-disturbance 9m Lemken disc drill is helping a Norfolk farmer extend opportunities to combat the black-grass threat in early autumn, while reducing the risk that he will have to resort to his power harrow drill combination when conditions turn wetter. 

Trading as A.L. Legge & Son Ltd, the Legge family has farmed at Southery, near Downham Market since the 1960s, when Les Legge rented land from the local church and Bill Legge later started a specialist contracting business. The business is now owned and managed by Les’ grandson, Pete Legge and his mother, Judith. 

As well as land owned by the Legges, a large area is also managed under contract-farming agreements across three farms close to the Cambridgeshire-Norfolk border, and the business provides contracting services for additional farms too.

More than a dozen varieties of potatoes are grown for specific markets, for customers including Morrisons and Greenvale, and the family also operates a busy agricultural haulage business and bales straw for the Ely power station. 

“Although we are based in the Fens, the 1,600ha we farm includes a wide range of soil types, and crops include potatoes which are our speciality, plus sugar beet, wheat, winter and spring barleys, oilseed rape and beans. We also dedicate approximately 260ha to SFI Environmental Stewardship schemes, including a lot of winter bird feed,” explained Pete. 

Specific requirement

For many years, the Legges have relied on a Väderstad Rapid 6m drill and a Lemken 6m power harrow drill combination for their crop establishment, but approximately five years ago, Pete started looking for a versatile, low-disturbance drill capable of direct drilling when conditions allow, to reduce soil movement during crop establishment while also achieving high work rates, reducing operating costs, saving time and burning less diesel.

“Staying on top of the black-grass threat while also achieving healthy crops and good yields remain our priorities,” he stressed. “We delay drilling after harvest, allowing time to cultivate stubbles and encourage weed germination, then spray them off before drilling. Early harvests give us an easier autumn, but when the combine finishes later, then we are under increased time pressure to tackle the grass weeds and then get the next year’s crops in the ground before conditions turn wet.”

Spray and fertiliser applications are on 36m tramlines, so Pete was keen to purchase a 9m drill to combine higher work rates with tramline compatibility. “We have had our Lemken 6m power harrow drill for approximately 10 years, and remain very happy with its reliability and performance, so when we heard that Lemken was adding the Solitair DT 9m direct drill to its line-up, we were keen to try it. Our local Lemken dealer, Ernest Doe looks after us well and the team there arranged with the manufacturer for us to have the first unit to enter the UK for evaluation.”

Targeted tillage

The Lemken Solitair DT comprises a front full-width tyre packer followed by two rows of wavy cultivation discs. Behind these, a second full-width tyre packer levels and consolidates, then a Trapeze packer provides targeted consolidation of the seed rows.

A staggered row of OptiDisc H seed coulters at 167mm spacing follows at the rear, with hydraulic pressure adjustment up to 70kg per unit. The seed coulters are directly aligned with the front wavy cultivation discs, and run in the narrow-tilled strips, leaving spaces between undisturbed. 

The 5,100-litre hopper is divided 60/40 with separate metering systems for each section, allowing the full hopper capacity to be used for seed, or fertiliser to be applied simultaneously while drilling. 

Impressive first trials

Unfortunately, the new model drill didn’t arrive until late October 2024 and, after an early harvest, most of the crops were already planted and conditions for drilling had turned too wet for a trailed machine. However, there was an opportunity to try establishing cereals as cover crops into challenging, hard-baked land in May 2025.

This was achieved without problems, although Pete commented that none of the farm’s other drills would have been capable without extensive pre-cultivation and pressing, and burning a huge amount of diesel. As well as completing the job quickly, the drill covered the seed effectively which is something Pete had feared could be a problem. The crop established well. 

The 9m drill has proved well matched to the farm’s Fendt 936 wheeled tractor, although Pete conceded that more power might be needed if the farm wasn’t in the flat Fens. There is also a Fendt 943MT rubber-tracked crawler available, but he pointed out that if the wheeled tractor couldn’t handle it, then conditions probably wouldn’t be suitable for working at all. 

First full season of drilling

Crops established last autumn are growing well, and Pete is delighted with his drill so far. His typical autumn drilling routine starts with environmental stewardship crops and oilseed rape in August and September, then cereal drilling commences once grass weeds have emerged and been treated.

Drilling with the main drill continues until conditions become too wet, then the power harrow combination completes the season if necessary. There is also a tine drill available, although Pete describes that as his ‘fire engine’ drill for when no other drill will operate. 

Ploughing is carried out when necessary, almost always after sugar beet and often after potatoes. In the past the combination drill was used on ploughed land, but an attraction of the new Lemken Solitair DT is its ability to work well in almost all crop establishment regimes from stubbles to ploughed and pre-cultivated land. 

“We used it this autumn direct into stubbles and where we had sub-soiled, confirmed Pete. “It copes well with long stubble and trash, although we haven’t tried it in waist-height cover crops such as our quinoa yet.”

Productive and efficient

The drill performs well at 12kph, giving a work rate of 10.8ha per hour, although the Legge’s farm includes many small fields of 8–10ha, so rates achieved are considerably lower. “We established 30ha of crops in only 4.5 hours, which proved the drill’s capabilities in our situation,” Pete explained.

“The drill operator usually refills the hopper himself, and time is spent moving between fields, so being able to get on when conditions are right is essential. The new Solitair is linkage- rather than drawbar-mounted, and the 9m working width allows it to turn back on itself at the headlands, which saves a lot of time.”

The drill has four 2.25m sections with automatic control through GPS field mapping. Pete said his Lemken combination drill was the first on his farm to have auto shut-off when it arrived 10 years ago. This proved an advantage, especially with the small fields requiring frequent headland turns.

“We wouldn’t buy a drill without auto shut-off now, and it’s even more important for the wider 9m drill. As well as reducing overlap and misses, it also means the fields look better and for a drill operator who takes a pride in his job that’s important.”

So far, the drill’s ability to place fertiliser while drilling hasn’t been utilised, although Pete said
that this is something he is keen to experiment with in future. 

Confidence in the brand

Ernest Doe area sales manager, Richard Perry looks after the farm account. “I was aware for several years that the Legges were keen to find the right direct drill for their farm, so I was extremely pleased when I heard that a 9m version of the Solitair DT would be available. 

“Many of our customers in the Littleport depot trading area already run Lemken drills and other machinery, and the brand really seems to suit the farming here. My customers trust me, and I will only recommend brands and machines that I trust myself. Lemken products are premium priced, but the company rarely lets me down and we keep huge stocks of spares to ensure minimum downtime. I thought the Solitair DT would be just what Pete needed for his farm and am happy that it works so well.”

Meeting requirements

Pete said that the Solitair DT is a long-term investment. “We bought it with the expectation that it will be kept for at least 10–12 years. Our other drills will remain as every year is different, and the weather is always the deciding factor regarding what works and what doesn’t, so they all have their place. 

“Ideally, the new Lemken will establish most of our crops, reducing the need for pre-cultivations. That means we burn less diesel, minimise opportunities for grass weed establishment, and the high productivity will allow us to get over the ground and complete the job when conditions are right, without resorting to the plough and the power harrow drill combination. Having been looking for several years for a drill that satisfies all our requirements, we are confident we have now bought the right machine. When conditions are right we can fly.”

Read more machinery news.