Aside from being used for weed control, GST’s Biostar roller hoe has couple of other tricks up its sleeve. Equipped with the company’s own 400-litre seeder unit or a front-mounted tank of up to 4,000-litres, the machine can be used to sow cover-crops or apply starter fertiliser to emerging crops.
Simple slot-in latches make it possible to lift individual star-wheels out of work so that the Biostar can be put to work in row crops such as maize or Christmas trees. According to famer and inventor Jacob Gubi, one of the hoe’s most valuable roles is in breaking up surface capping shortly after drilling.
While this helps to let delicate emerging seedlings get away it also provides an essential flush of mineralised nitrogen – estimated to be worth 5-10kg/N/ha from each pass. GST’s unusual twin-beam toolbar design apparently makes for a particularly stable frame, enabling the unit to run at speeds of up to 25km/hr without relying on depth wheels to eliminate yaw. 3.0m to 15m versions are available, the most common being the 8.0m and 12m models, priced at £23,000 and £40,000 respectively. The Danish firm is currently on the lookout for dealers across the UK and Ireland.
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