AquaTill

Higher Productivity for Conservation Agriculture

AquaTill is an ultrahigh-pressure waterjet tool that slices through fresh and decaying plant residues, allowing farmers to embrace sustainable land management practices that deliver higher productivity. 

A liquid jet-stream generated by 50,000 psi pressure and operating near Mach 3 has the power to cut or penetrate in circumstances where mechanical devices like discs and tines fail; such as when the underlying soil is soft and the crop residue is damp.

An AquaTill system consists of an ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) pump, UHP plumbing and cutting heads that can be deployed for a variety of purposes using custom “engagement tools”. 

Farmers and farm equipment manufacturers can design engagement tools to suit regional and crop specific applications.  Retro-fit AquaTill to existing seeders and planters or integrate AquaTill into all new farming tools.

AquaTill is a solution that encompasses residue management, soil health, timeliness, nutrition, weed control and rotation.  It's the next step towards the ultimate high-residue and healthy soil farming system.

Benefits of the Liquid Coulter

• MORE SOWING OPPORTUNITIES
  The AquaTill Liquid Coulter reduces complications with damp residue during seeding operations such as hair-pinning with discs and blockages with tines. AquaTill provides faster seeding operations, less downtime and significantly increases opportunities to plant seed.
• BROAD COMPATIBILITY
  AquaTill can be added to mainstream disc and tine seeders, and may allow for the development of all new seeding systems. AquaTill enables the adoption of sustainable farming tools where crop residues are left matted on the ground.
• BETTER SEED PLACEMENT
  AquaTill cuts cleanly through crop residue without the problems that arise when using traditional methods. This allows for the retention of higher residue loads without compromising seed placement or seed-soil contact, which ultimately leads to better emergence.
• DRAFT REDUCTION
  AquaTill reduces draft on seeding implements, the seeder frame and the tractor. Consistent soil slitting provides an accurate path of least resistance that increases the penetration of discs and reduces the breakout and soil throw of tines.
• FERTILIZER INJECTION
  AquaTill is able to inject certain liquid fertilizers like aqueous UAN to reduce seed-bed toxicity while increasing root interception. Mid-row banding is also achievable with AquaTill.  Preliminary studies show that mid-row N application via AquaTill may reduce GHG emissions in some circumstances.
• LESS COMPACTION
  AquaTill does not rely on weight to cut or penetrate; eliminating the need to add downforce mass to the seeder. Resulting in less weight on the soil, and therefore, less soil compaction. 

Benefits of Jetacide

• Fast and Reliable control of perennial ratoon like cotton and wood weeds.
• Herbicide traveling at speeds near Mach 3 can penetrate directly into the translocating tissue of difficult to kill plants. 
• Bollgard3 Cotton technology combined with AquaTill Jetacide may eliminate the need for cultivation in some farming systems and allow for faster establishment of subsequent crops.