Almost certainly one of the biggest in the world, it's the latest venture from the Banana-based Multi Farming Systems operation, which is putting serious runs on the board when it comes to making broadacre planting rigs.

Company spokesperson Kris Trevilyan and her noted designer/father, David, have been turning out Multiplanter planting rigs for a number of years, upping the scale of individual units to match the increasingly powerful tractors now on sale in Australia.

Incredibly, the company already has on its drawing borads the plans for a 92m (302ft) wide 'big brother' to its current flagship sowing rig.

It believes the difficulty in attracting and retaining skilled farm labour has appeal to large-scale producers wanting to maximise operating efficiencies.

Ms Trevilyan said the company's unique hydraulic sensor tyne assembly, requiring only 3kW/tyne (4hp), reduces the grunt needed to haul equipment of this scale since each of the 96 tynes work independently of their press wheels.

The electro-over-hydraulic system maintains a constant pre-set pressure under each press wheel with variations in soil type being compensated for automatically.

All of this translates to fuel savings.

Earlier this season the property owner of the latest Multiplanter sowing rig was moisture seeking down to 20cm (8in) and covering seed with 5.5cm (2in) of dirt.

Travelling at 7.5kph (4.5mph), a massive 375kW (500hp) Steiger STX wheeled tractor was planting about 50ha/hour using less power as a result of the action of the new sensor tyne technology.

While rigs of this dimension probably will be ‘parked’ in their natural habitats – equally giant-sized paddocks – this 48m Multiplanter has been set up for end tow.

Its rear tynes are designed to swing around and fold flat against each side of the main frame.

Meanwhile, the pull pole is simply rolled around with a jockey wheel and suspended from a front wheel assembly.

The Trevilyans say farmers can fit steering rams to perform a number of functions.

Footnote: Images courtesy of Wallaby Productions - www.wallaby.net.au.