Seed and fertilizer opener and seeding implement featuring same

1. An opener for mounting on a shank of an agricultural implement, the opener comprising:

a hollow central body having a mounting portion arranged for mounting on the shank;

furrowing portions carried on the central body and arranged to form a seed bed as the central body is pulled through ground on the shank in a forward working direction, the furrowing portion comprising first and second leading edges situated on opposite first and second sides of the central body respectively;

a seed delivery passage comprising a seed inlet and a seed outlet at opposite ends thereof and being operable to deliver seed onto the seed bed, the seed delivery passage extending through the hollow central body in front of the mounting portion thereof to the seed outlet, which is situated on the first side of the central body in a position leading the mounting portion in the forward working direction and trailing the first leading edge of the furrowing portions in the forward working; and

a fertilizer delivery passage comprising a fertilizer inlet and a fertilizer outlet at opposite ends thereof and being operable to deliver fertilizer onto the seed bed, the fertilizer delivery passage extending through the hollow central body in front of the mounting portion thereof to the fertilizer outlet, which is situated on the second side of the central body in a position leading the mounting portion in the forward working direction and trailing the second leading edge of the furrowing portion in the forward working direction;

whereby the double shoot opener is operable to deliver the seed and the fertilizer through the hollow central body onto the same seed bed from ahead of the shank on opposite sides of the central body.

2. The opener according to claim 1 wherein the seed outlet opens rearwardly to face at least partly in a direction opposite the forward working direction.

3. The opener according to claim 1 wherein the fertilizer outlet opens rearwardly to face at least partly in a direction opposite the forward working direction.

4. The opener according to claim 1 wherein the seed and fertilizer outlets each open rearwardly to face at least partly in a direction opposite the forward working direction.

5. The opener according to claim 1 wherein each outlet opening rearwardly also faces partly in a laterally outward direction away from the central body.

6. The opener according to claim 1 wherein the seed and fertilizer outlets are each located entirely laterally outward from the central body.

7. The opener according to claim 1 comprising a common delivery chamber through which the seed and fertilizer passages extend to the seed and fertilizer outlets.

8. The opener according to claim 7 wherein the common delivery chamber is carried on the central body, spans thereacross from the first side to the second side and trails the leading edges of the furrowing portions in the forward working direction.

9. The opener according to claim 7 wherein one of the passages comprises a conduit passing through the delivery chamber without communication between interiors of the conduit and the chamber.

10. The opener according to claim 9 wherein the other one of the passages is in open communication with the chamber through which it passes.

11. The opener according to claim 7 wherein the seed and fertilizer outlets are defined at openings in the chamber.

12. The opener according to claim 7 wherein the chamber comprises a barrier positioned between the seed and fertilizer passages to prevent mixing of the seed and fertilizer within the chamber.

13. The opener according to claim 12 wherein the barrier is arranged to prevent discharge of the seed through the fertilizer outlet and discharge of fertilizer through the seed outlet.

14. The opener according to claim 1 wherein the fertilizer passage comprises a tube arranged to receive fluid fertilizer at the inlet end thereof.

15. The opener according to claim 14 comprising an insulation layer fitted about the tube and wherein the tube is arranged to receive anhydrous ammonia fertilizer at the inlet end thereof.

16. The opener according to claim 1 comprising a connection element proximate a rear end of the central body for cooperation with a corresponding connection element defined on the shank of the agricultural implement to facilitate coupling thereto, the seed and fertilizer outlets leading the connection element in the forward working direction.

17. The opener according to claim 1 comprising covering surfaces carried on the central body and each extending between a respective one of the first and second leading edges and a respective one of the seed and fertilizer outlets on a respective one of the first and second sides of the central body.

18. The opener according to claim 1 comprising an additional fertilizer delivery passage that comprises an additional fertilizer inlet and an additional fertilizer outlet at opposite ends thereof and is operable to deliver a second fertilizer onto the seed bed, the additional fertilizer outlet being situated on between the fertilizer outlet and seed outlet in a transverse direction crossing the forward working direction.

19. The opener according to claim 18 wherein the fertilizer passage comprises a tube arranged to receive fluid fertilizer at the inlet end thereof, the additional fertilizer delivery passage comprises a hollow interior portion of the central body through which granular fertilizer can be delivered, and the additional fertilizer outlet comprises an opening in the central body.