LEMKEN Solitair NT: a no-till seed drill for any tillage system

At Agritechnica 2025, LEMKEN presented the new pneumatic seed drill Solitair NT. This is a 6-metre machine designed specifically for minimum tillage systems and direct drilling (no-till), but it also works efficiently on conventionally cultivated soil.

Solitair NT expands LEMKEN’s range of seeding equipment and gives farmers the flexibility to adapt their seeding strategy to soil type, moisture level and crop – from simultaneous application of seed and fertiliser to combined sowing of cover crops.

Machine concept: direct seeding with minimal soil disturbance

The heart of the Solitair NT is the single-disc ProDisc coulter. The disc is set at an angle of 10° to the horizontal and 7° to the direction of travel, which allows it to easily penetrate the soil, requires less draft power and forms a narrow, stable furrow.

Each coulter:

is individually suspended and works together with a wide depth-control wheel, which ensures a consistent seeding depth even on undulating fields;

has adjustable pressure up to 340 kg, which can be changed electrohydraulically from the cab and, optionally, automatically depending on soil conditions;

allows the seeding depth to be set up to 10 cm using a tool-free lever.

For Planting Green technology (drilling into a living cover crop), star-shaped row cleaners are available. They move crop residues away from the coulter zone, minimising the “hair-pinning” effect, and can be put into a parking/transport position without tools, making it easier to switch between different tillage systems.

Furrow closure is handled by a spiked press wheel with adjustable pressure and angle. This helps restore soil capillarity, improves moisture retention and ensures even emergence, even under dry conditions.

Hoppers, MultiHub and flexible seeding strategies

The Solitair NT can work with one, two or three components:

• single steel hopper of 4,400 l;
• double hopper of 5,100 l with a 40:60 split;
• optional MultiHub of 500 l as a third component.

This configuration opens several operating modes:

• Single-shot – simultaneous application of a mixture or seed with fertiliser through one coulter line;
• A-B seeding with a double hopper – separate placement of two components into different rows (e.g. seed + fertiliser, seed + cover crop);
• working with MultiHub: the third component can be applied through the ProDisc coulters or via spreader plates, for example broadcasting small seeds on the surface.

In the standard configuration, the drill is equipped with four metering units per hopper, each feeding its own distributor. This is an important requirement for component-wise and section control and for accurate work with prescription maps.

Standard and small-seed metering wheels can be replaced easily – the metering unit can be detached from the hopper even when it is full, which simplifies cleaning and switching between crops.

Adapting to different field conditions

The design of the Solitair NT is oriented towards work in challenging conditions:

automatic coulter pressure control maintains a constant seeding depth when moving from wet depressions to firm ridges, reducing variation in emergence timing and wear of working parts;

a liftable axle increases ground clearance and makes exiting the field easier on steep headlands or tracks;

the drill can be equipped with high-volume VF tyres, which reduce ground pressure and limit soil compaction;

hydraulic markers and hydraulic tramline systems ensure uniform seed usage even when creating tramlines for a sprayer or spreader.

Digital solutions: iQblue Drill and iQblue Go

The Solitair NT is fully integrated into LEMKEN’s ISOBUS ecosystem:

control is carried out via the CCI terminal or any compatible ISOBUS monitor;

the Multi-boom function allows independent control of seed and fertiliser sections, preventing overlaps;

the system supports simultaneous work with three prescription maps – for example, variable-rate seeding, starter fertiliser application and sowing of a cover crop at the same time.

The optional iQblue Go mobile app (Android) creates a wireless connection with the drill. Through the app, the operator can:

start and monitor calibration;

view key operating parameters (speed, seeding rate, worked area);

view error messages and machine history remotely.

Technical specifications of LEMKEN Solitair NT (6 m)

Currently, the Solitair NT is available in a 6-metre version. The main parameters of the machine according to LEMKEN’s official technical documentation are:

Practical experience: saving resources and stabilising yields

In its presentation materials, LEMKEN emphasises that the Solitair NT was developed in cooperation with the South African company Equalizer, which has many years of experience in direct seeding on large-scale farms.

Pilot farms in Germany use the Solitair NT for growing barley, grain maize, oilseed rape, soybeans, wheat and catch crops, focusing on:

• reducing the number of passes across the field;
• decreasing soil compaction and moisture loss;
• stabilising yields thanks to even crop emergence and better management of cover crops.

For Ukrainian farms moving towards minimum tillage and no-till systems, the Solitair NT can be a logical step towards resource-efficient farming: less fuel, fewer machines in the field, better protection against erosion and soil structure degradation.

Spare parts for LEMKEN and other seed drills at BAS.UA

In today’s conditions, it is just as important as choosing the right drill to ensure reliable machine operation throughout the season. Wear of working parts, bearings, press wheels and drive elements is inevitable, especially when working in aggressive no-till conditions.

“Bas-Agro” LLC manufactures and sells spare parts for seed drills and other agricultural machinery, including equipment of international brands. In the company’s catalogue you can find:

• coulters, discs, press wheels, sprockets, shafts;
• drive and seed conveying elements;
• other components for seeding combinations and drills.

You can view the range and order spare parts for seed drills in the section
https://bas.ua/shop/spare-parts-for-seeders-000000003-1 on the BAS.UA website.

This approach allows you to combine cutting-edge seeding technology from LEMKEN with reliable service and affordable spare parts from a Ukrainian manufacturer, lowering the overall seeding cost and increasing operational reliability.