The UK’s largest farm machinery show next week is set to include some cutting-edge technology from Suffolk.

LAMMA 2015, which takes place at the East of England Showground in Peterborough on Wednesday and Thursday, will feature more than 900 exhibitors, including Claydon Drills, a family engineering company based at Wickhambrook, near Newmarket.

The company makes farm machinery but specialises in a revolutionary seed drill designed by its founder, Jeff Claydon.

It does away with the need to plough or cultivate the soil, representing a saving for farmers in time and money and a knock-on effect in helping the soil and therefore the environment.

Claydon Drills will be exhibiting the production version of its new Hybrid T drill for the first time at the show, which is free to attend and regularly attracts more than 40,000 farmers from the UK and overseas.

It can be used to sow directly into stubble, in minimum tillage situations or on ploughed land.

The latest model from the company incorporates its patented Claydon Sowing Technology System and is a trailed version of its linkage-mounted Hybrid seed/fertiliser unit.

It is aimed primarily at large arable farms, and is expected to be popular in the UK and Europe, where this approach is increasingly popular.

The model shown at LAMMA 2015 will be the 6m version, which is expected to account for the majority of sales across all markets, although an 8m version is currently being developed and due to go into production early next year.

The Hybrid T was first shown during 2014 to gauge reaction from potential customers following an extensive programme of design, development and testing.

This included 1000 acres of field trials across a wide range of soils and conditions, some of which was carried out on the Claydon family’s own heavy land farm in Suffolk which serves as a test-bed for all of its new products.

“Increasing production costs and declining agricultural commodity prices are forcing farmers to re-evaluate traditional ways of working across all sectors of their businesses,” explained commercial director Spencer Claydon, who is also Jeff’s son. “Many still use traditional methods of establishing crops without appreciating the substantial cost savings and agronomic benefits which can be achieved by taking a more modern approach.”

The firm estimates a 700-acre farm would save around £80,000 over a three-year period from the technology.