Prompted by demand from UK row-crop growers, Italian firm Concept has developed a strip-till rotovator. Pairs of blades cultivate 300mm wide bands of soil to produce a tilth down to seeding depth while loosening legs with 50mm wide points work down to 25cm to break up any compaction.
These also serve to pull the machine into work and keep it anchored at the required depth. Circular baffles either side of each set of blades cut into the ground to separate the cultivated strips from the undisturbed surface and limit soil throw.
At the rear a hydraulically-controlled hedgehog packer firms things up and limits how far the machine will sink in. Because only half the ground is being worked Concept says the power requirement is relatively low although the unit’s 2,035kg weight means it’ll probably need a tractor of around 150hp to lift it.
A three-point linkage means it’s possible to piggy-back mount a drill directly behind the machine. A four-row 3.0m model to fit with 750mm row spacings will land on farm at just over £18,000 – versions to suit 50cm and 55cm spacings are also available.
