The Alpego Inversa stone-burier is said to be capable of creating a friable seedbed in even the stoniest soils.

Based on the Italian manufacturer’s rotary tiller, or ‘rotovator’ range there are three versions of the Inversa. The 2.5-3.0m IG range for tractors from 90-170hp and 3.0-4.0m IZ variants rated for 140hp to 280hp. The flagship hydraulic folding Poker range spans working widths from 3.6m to 5.0m and will handle up to 260hp.

Spinning in reverse to the conventional direction, the rotor lifts soil and carries it over the top, propelling it through two rows of spring-loaded screening tines. Working in combination with an adjustable levelling bar, this set-up sees stones, clods and crop residue drop first to the bottom of the worked pass, and covered by the layer of finer soil that has passed through the tines.

The resulting fine tilth is said to be ideal for seed germination and emergence, and Opico reckons that the buried layer of stones provides sub-surface drainage for growing crops without limiting their capacity to access moisture at depth.

Unveiled at the recent Royal Highland, the Inversa on display was a standard 3.0m IZ-300 fitted with a 520 packer roller and Stocks Ag Turbo Jet 8 Jackal with 400l hopper. The Inversa retails at £23,061. This rises to £29,148 when the seeder and spreader kit are fitted.

Alpego rotary tillers differ in that they all come with a centre-drive system. Rather than power being transferred to the rotor via a series of gears or chains and sprockets at one end of the shaft, a slimline geartrain transfers drive to the middle of the rotor.

This design sees torque loadings transferred equally to either side of the machine, and by having four support bearings for the rotor, rather than two, the opportunity for shaft flex under load is reduced.

Without a transfer casing on one end of the machine, Alpego rotovators’ working widths are equal to their transport width. This allows them to run right up against fences and other obstacles in either direction of travel.

Having a centralised driveline also avoids uneven weight distribution left-to-right, helping to ensure a consistent working depth across the width of the machine.

All Inversa models are available with a choice of rear rollers. Other options include hydraulic depth adjustment, track eradicators, piggy-back linkages and seeder mounting kits.

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