LAMMA Show 2020: Cultivator conundrum

Vaderstad has updated its NZ tractor-mounted cultivator range with an all-new headstock and the availability of a double row of tines on its following harrow.

The headstock design now benefits from a pivoting cross-shaft, which is mechanically locked for transport. Removing two locking pins enables the mounted machine to behave like a trailed unit, improving in-field manoeuvrability and versatility with headland turns. This 6m unit is priced from £17,000.

Development of J Brock and Sons’ own cultivation equipment has seen the arrival of a range of tractor-mounted sub-soilers from the Essex-based maker, offering fixed and hydraulic folding frames.

Currently available in 3m and 4m working widths – there are plans to develop a 6m unit – the 4m unit can be specified as a fixed or folding machine. Legs are arranged in a V-formation complete with shear bolt protection, and followed by a packer roller. The Sub-V 400F costs £15,250.

KRM’s latest Carre Econet mechanical weeding hoe has received increased precision with the development of 2D and 3D camera technology. This higher level of accuracy is geared towards greater productivity, allowing the hoe elements to work within 2-3cm of the crop at forward speeds of up to 17kph. “Switching between 2D and 3D imaging lets the Carre Econet differentiate between plants and weeds by using colours or assessing crop height,” says KRM md Keith Rennie. “The end result is increased accuracy and productivity, to compensate for a working width that is considerably smaller than a sprayer boom.”

He-Va premiered its latest tool for low disturbance subsoiling. Designed for farmers with weed grass problems and no-till urges, it features a set of serrated cutting discs, ahead of 15mm wide legs, fitted with 120mm tungsten tipped points.

Legs as standard are spaced at 500mm but can be altered to 450 or 550mm with shear bolt or hydraulic reset options. The company reckons 200hp is enough to pull a four metre version, but it will need weight up front due to the heavy construction and 600mm V-profile packer. There are various configurations from three metre to seven metre working widths.

Tenbury, Herefordshire-based Edwards Farm Machinery has increased its portfolio of inter-row vegetable weeders with the arrival of the Italian-built Oliver Agro unit.

Designed for working on beds, the implement uses hydraulically powered, spiked weeding discs to clean between rows of crop. Two cameras provide advanced machine guidance with small plants from the two true-leaf stage, while the ability to change nylon spacers between the discs allows multiple rows and bed spacings to be accommodated.

Ukrainian-built Lozova Machinery, which made its Lamma debut in 2019, is now being imported and distributed by British sprayer maker LandQuip, under its LandQuip Terra Solutions banner.

It is a range that comprises disc harrows, stubble cultivators, sub-soilers, toothed straw harrows, rotary harrows, inter-row cultivators and levelling harrows. This 6m Ducat-9 short disc harrow is one of a range that extends from 2.5m to 16.75m, and offers intensive mixing of soils and residues to a working depth of 14cm.

The AS Tractors portfolio continues to grow, with the arrival of Turkish implement maker Alpler’s line-up of cultivation and grassland equipment.

This five-furrow reversible plough is one of a range of models that uses a 140mm main beam, with a headstock rated at 120hp. Features include a rubber-tyred depth wheel, skims, disc coulter sand shear bolt protection.

This DPA165 model gains hydraulic furrow width adjustment, 70cm underbeam clearance, and 80cm point-to-point clearance, and is priced at £12,400.

Grange Machinery continues to develop its Low Disturbance Loosener range, and this 6m model is now the widest on offer.

With two 3m folding wing sections, it comprises 12 front-cutting discs to open a slot, with each disc followed directly by a low disturbance leg, ahead of a packer. Intended for use at depths of 15 to 20cm, the 6m LDL is ideally suited to controlled traffic systems, and is available with shear bolt or auto-reset leg protection. The 6m unit is priced from £24,000.

For high value row crops, such as pumpkins, rhubarb and trees, JF Hudson is now importing the Spapperi inter-plant weeder.

Tractor mounted, an operator sits on the machine and operates a pair of hydraulically powered, power harrow style rotors, which swing in and out of the gaps left by the plants. The operation can either be manual if in light soils, or hydraulically initiated, covering about 75cm per pass. The company say in a pumpkin crop, daily output averages north of a hectare. Up to four rows can be opted for, with a single unit costing about £7,000.

Following customer demand, Proforge launched a hydraulic reset version of its Stoka tine bar.

This three metre bar can be fitted with five or six legs, and is ideally married to the firm’s Inverter short disc harrow it says.

The auto-reset option adds £1,000 onto the asking price.

The Hatzenbichler-built Interrow cultivator was shown in three distinct variations at the show on Opico’s stand. Cereals, maize and beet versions are available, all of which fit onto the sliding headstock. Widths of three to 18m are available.

Most machines will be bespoke to individual farms, depending on the amount of accessories needed. This includes various soil engaging equipment, as well as the control system, which uses cameras and GPS. As an option with the maize setup is an air seeder which can apply grass in between the rows, with benefits including weed suppression, erosion reduction and better travelling at harvest.

Sumo’s Mixidisc has been given additional strengthening with diagonal cross-bracing to improve frame rigidity. In addition, the cultivator has been equipped with a levelling disc on either end of the each disc gang. Adjustable in working height through a pin and hole mechanism, the levelling discs can be adjusted to suit different soil types, to prevent ridging between passes.

The Farmet Fantom range of cultivators offered by J Brock and Sons now includes a selection of tractor-mounted models.

Designed as a heavy-duty spring tine cultivator for use at depths of up to 15cm, the mounted Fantom range offers working widths from three to 4.7m. The new models fill in the bottom end of the range, and compliments the trailed Fantom Classic and Pro models, which extend from 6.5 to 12.5m.

Edwards Farm Machinery has updated its front-mounted, inter-row hoe, with an all-new design of folding frame to improve forward visibility. The 6m-wide mechanical weeder was shown with seven tine carriers, and the firm’s Rob Edwards highlighted that the implement could be equipped with a wide variety of weeding attachments to suit different crop and soil types. Inter-row guidance is managed using a pair of cameras to operate the implement’s hydraulic side-shift. The 6m inter-row hoe is priced from £24,000.

The Close-Coupled Toolbar (CCT) from Grange Machinery has been designed to work in combination with maize drills and strip tillage systems, for those looking to avoid traditional plough and power harrow-based establishment systems.

Available in 3m, 4m and 6m widths, row spacings can be set at 45cm, 50cm, 60cm and 75cm.

CCT is pto-shaft ready, and uses a hydraulic linkage with float capability, allowing the toolbar to be raised and lowered independently when used with a precision drill. The 3m CCT costs £8,500.