Maschio Gaspardo Updates CHRONO 800 and 916: A Review of the Planters and Their New Fertilizer System

Maschio Gaspardo is preparing a system for the CHRONO 800 and 916 planters that will allow liquid and dry fertilizers to be applied during the same planting pass. The company’s Ukrainian director, Olena Bohacheva, announced the planned update. It will expand the capabilities of two high-speed machines designed for precision planting across large areas.

The CHRONO Planting Unit: How the Seed Reaches the Furrow

Both planters use the electrically driven CHRONO planting unit. Its seed delivery process has two pneumatic stages. Vacuum holds seeds on the metering disc and helps separate them one at a time. After a seed leaves the meter, an adjustable airflow carries it through the seed tube to the furrow. Seed selection and delivery airflow can be adjusted separately to suit the size, shape and weight of the seed.

This sequence matters particularly at higher planting speeds. Accurate seed metering would be less useful if the seed moved unpredictably between the meter and the soil. Pneumatic delivery helps preserve the intended spacing between plants along that final part of the route. The CHRONO system can plant crops including maize, sunflower and soybean, as well as smaller-seeded crops, using the appropriate metering discs and settings.

CHRONO 800: A Modular 12- or 16-Row Planter

The CHRONO 800 is a trailed planter with a folding frame and floating wings that help the planting units follow the field surface. Maschio Gaspardo offers 12- and 16-row configurations with row spacing of 70 or 75 cm. Working width ranges from 8.4 m for 12 rows at 70 cm to 12 m for 16 rows at 75 cm. The manufacturer specifies a planting speed of 15 km/h and above for this series.

A distinguishing feature of the CHRONO 800 is its choice of storage and delivery configurations. In the version with a central fertilizer hopper, seed is held in individual hoppers on the planting units. Another configuration combines central fertilizer and seed hoppers, with seed delivered from the central hopper to the units. Maschio Gaspardo also describes a configuration with additional seed capacity. This modular approach allows a farm to select a machine that fits its loading method and working practices.

The planting unit’s construction also contributes to consistent seed placement. Its double parallelogram and AIR SPRING pneumatic system regulate downforce, with the manufacturer specifying a maximum of 300 kg. A double-disc opener with 420 mm discs forms the seed furrow. ISOTRONIC electric drives, controlled through ISOBUS, allow the operator to adjust planting parameters and switch off individual rows in overlap areas.

CHRONO 916: Sixteen Rows and Large-Capacity Hoppers

The CHRONO 916 is a 16-row trailed planter with a two-section folding frame. Maschio Gaspardo lists versions with 70, 75 or 80 cm row spacing, a 2,000 L central seed hopper and a 7,000 L fertilizer hopper. Its stated transport width is 3.5 m, and the minimum tractor power requirement is 300 hp. The manufacturer also describes the CHRONO 916 as capable of planting at speeds above 15 km/h.

The large hoppers suit the 916’s intended use on substantial areas, where fewer stops for refilling help maintain field operation. Working width and speed alone, however, do not determine planting quality. That depends on the coordinated operation of the meter, pneumatic seed delivery, opener and depth-control mechanism.

What Combined Fertilizer Application Will Add

The planned update to the CHRONO 800 and 916 concerns crop nutrition. The new system is intended to combine the application of dry and liquid fertilizers with precision planting in a single pass. For farms that use both fertilizer forms, it offers a way to bring their application into the planting operation.

This is an addition to the planters’ equipment rather than a change to how the CHRONO planting unit meters and delivers seed. The machine must still place seeds accurately within the row; the new system adds simultaneous application of two fertilizer forms. The practical purpose of the update is to bring precision planting, wide working widths and several field operations together in one pass.

Spare Parts for Gaspardo Planters

For planter maintenance, Bas-Agro Group has a catalogue of parts compatible with Gaspardo equipment. It includes seed metering discs, opener discs, bushings, springs, sprockets, scrapers and other components. Parts for a specific model and configuration should be selected by part number or by the specifications of the installed assembly.