Kuhn won a gold award in the Arable Establishment Innovation category at LAMMA for its Smart Soil Technology (SST) and IsoBus connectivity, which it introduced on the Optimer 6000 and 7500 stubble cultivators.

The development allows operators to manage cultivator settings from the cab, with automatic adjustments for an even working depth and tracking on slopes.

SST features steady control exclusive, which uses a combination of pressure and position sensors to adjust disc depth to changing field topography and soil types. Kuhn says it prevents downtime for manual adjustments of working depth; using soil map data to determine depth is also possible.

To correct the Optimer’s position behind the tractor when working across slopes, an Auto-Line function uses live data to centre the implement behind the tractor. Kuhn says that regardless of slopes or changes in soil type, SST uses a central coulter to measure the position of the Optimer in relation to forward movement.

The system modifies the position by using the gauge wheel and rear roller to offset the forces on the front and rear disc rows and ensure a true pull line behind the tractor.

SST also features section control, which allows the Optimer to raise and lower automatically on each run. The machine can be selected to turn on the rear roller to reduce soil compaction or use the transport wheels if conditions suit.