The combined capacity of the three hoppers on the new Avatar M direct drill of 12,600 litres is claimed to be significantly larger than all currently available machines.

Based on a new central frame concept, the 12,600-litre capacity (2,000-litre front hopper followed by two 5,300-litre versions) is a sizeable increase on the 8,500-litre capacity of the two hoppers on the existing 18m Avatar SD.

The large chassis tyres minimise the pressure on the soil and reduce compaction even if the hopper is full or the soil is wet.

A half-width shut-off is standard on the M. This enables the driver to save seed and fertiliser on the headlands or in wedge-shaped fields, while optional pushed trash wheels are available to remove organic residues from the seed horizon.

Other options include the WorkLight Pro LED headlight system, which allows operators to see the seed coulters clearly in the dark. The optional weighing system allows the driver to how much is in each hopper from the tractor.

Designed to move minimum amounts of soil in difficult conditions, and initially available in a working width of 18m, the big market for the M will be large arable farms in countries such as Australia, Central Europe and North America.

Up to three components can be placed simultaneously by the SingleDisc seed coulters.

Requiring a tractor of around 350hp to pull it, the Avatar M does not fold to 3.0m for transport like the 18m Avatar SD. This will limit its use in western Europe and the UK, but we can imagine that if there is demand that an M that folds to 3.0m could come in the future.