Subsoiler till-seeding

This is another fantastic piece of agricultural machinery. I took this at about 7.30 in the evening, so the image is a bit noisy because the light was very low.

The contraption behind the tractor is a subsoiler which also tills and drills (sows the seed for the next crop). The subsoiler is used to break up compacted layers of soil, as opposed to a plough which turns over the soil very deeply. The field has not been ploughed since the wheat was harvested - ploughing is not always done as it breaks down delicate soil structures.

This machine subsoils, fertilises, drills seed and harrows (covers the seed with soil) all in one operation. It therefore requires one visit to the field, with one man completing the whole thing.