At this year’s NAMPO Harvest Day, Rula Agri once again demonstrated its commitment to developing and manufacturing practical, innovative solutions for modern farming. With a strong focus on minimum tillage, precision planting and targeted lime application, the Rula Agri team showed farmers how the company’s equipment and technology can further improve soil health and production potential.

According to Jimmy Ebersohn, Rula Agri is dedicated to designing solutions that add real value on the farm.

“Our focus remains on developing and manufacturing implements suited to most South African farming conditions, while helping producers work more accurately and efficiently,” Jimmy explained.

A closer look at the in-line tine configuration of Rula Agri’s lime pulveriser blower, designed to place lime at varying depths within the soil profile for improved treatment of acidic soils.

One of the products that attracted considerable interest was Rula Agri’s minimum tillage planter. The planter is equipped with Rula Agri’s new minimum-tillage row unit, featuring Precision Planting’s V-Set 2 electric metering system for accurate seed placement. The system also includes automatic downforce/upforce control, which regulates pressure on the row unit to ensure consistent emergence and uniform planting depth.

The implement further incorporates a hydraulic fertiliser applicator with breakaway tines, while standard planter units at the rear are fitted with individually controlled closing mechanisms.

However, the main attraction at the Rula Agri stand was the launch of the company’s new lime pulveriser blower system, with Ruan Jonas sharing more details:

“The new lime pulveriser blower operates with three in-line tines, each working at a different depth. The first tine places lime at approximately 200 mm, the second at 300 mm and the third at 400 mm. The system is designed to effectively address acidic layers deeper within the soil profile – something that conventional surface lime applications often fail to achieve.

“Many farmers struggle with soil acidity occurring deeper in the profile. With this system, we can place lime exactly where it is needed and directly target the acidic layer,” said Ruan.

According to him, the implement was specifically developed to address problem areas within the soil profile rather than applying lime only on the surface. The shoe at the bottom of each tine places the lime in a band approximately 200 mm wide, creating an effective treatment zone of around 200 mm by 200 mm. The tine configuration and row spacing can also be adjusted to suit each producer’s requirements.

“No two soil profiles are the same. That is why we provide producers with the option to configure the implement according to their specific soil acidity conditions,” Ruan explained.

He further emphasised that the implement was not designed as a conventional ripper, but specifically as a lime pulveriser blower that effectively fractures the subsoil surface to enable proper and uniform lime placement.

Jimmy also elaborated on the hopper section of the lime applicator. The hopper has an 8 m³ capacity and features a protective screening layer to prevent stones and foreign objects from entering the system.

Material is conveyed by a hydraulically driven chain system, while an adjustable slide gate ensures consistent material flow to the Venturi unit. From there, the lime is distributed through the system by a high-pressure, high-volume airflow, ensuring uniform application across the rows.

The Rula Agri team at NAMPO 2026: Ruan Jonas, Joseph Legote and Jimmy Ebersohn.

Another important development is the movable metering mechanism, which prevents material build-up – particularly important when handling lime with a higher moisture content. An additional protective grid system also removes plant residue and smaller foreign objects from the system to ensure optimum performance.

“The entire design is aimed at maintaining consistent material flow and accurate placement, even under more challenging conditions,” Jimmy explained.

With this new technology, Rula Agri reinforces its focus on innovative solutions that help farmers improve soil health, efficiency and yield potential.

For more information on Rula Agri’s implements and equipment and how they can take your farming operation to the next level, contact the company on 082 882 1272, email info@rula-agri.co.za, or visit their website.