Cultivation range finds favour with farmers

The Koralin hybrid cultivator has an innovative tool combination consisting of discs and a tine with duckfoot sweep shares.

Koralin 9

The increasing restrictions of agrochemicals require machinery for controlling weeds with new combinations, to supplement previous procedures and secure crop yields.

For ultra-flat stubble working Lemken is introducing the Koralin hybrid cultivator with an innovative tool combination consisting of discs and a tine with duckfoot sweep shares.

This gives reliable control of weeds even in large areas or where straw has not been removed, the company says.

The symmetrical forward-running discs attached to secure leaf springs have already proved their worth as they are fitted to the Heliodor compact disc harrow. With a 510mm diameter, the disc generates an abrasive sub-soil profile, which prevents the share forming a layer of compacted soil below.

The discs can also be used systematically to perforate the soil at the bottom of the shares and promote drainage of surface water. In average to heavy soil conditions the discs improve the crumb structure of the soil during seedbed preparation.

The tines with duckfoot sweep shares have a 35cm cut and are arranged symmetrically in three rows with line spacing of 30cm and overlap each other by 2.5cm. They are secured to the main frame by a sprung overload device. This guarantees the necessary lateral and height stability, so that the shares can work over the whole surface for sustained periods.

At working depths of 2cm to a maximum of 10cm, the duckfoot sweep shares cut the roots of the weeds or cover crop horizontally like a knife. For this reason, the Koralin is best suited to repeated flat cutting at working depths, which are slightly increased each time. Shares are available with hard metal tips which increase life expectancy, reduce costs and subsequently reduce machine downtime to a minimum during the high season.

The depth guidance system fitted to the Koralin hybrid cultivator operates accurately by means of stabilisers within the device, which means that the roller can be replaced by a multi-row harrow for more effective weed control.

Heliodor 9

The Heliodor compact disc harrow can be used for both shallow stubble cultivation and for seedbed preparation. This makes the Heliodor 9 a versatile compact disc harrow with high working speed capability and low power requirement resulting in efficient cultivations, Lemken says.

The robust leaf spring elements ensure that the Heliodor works evenly and without blockage in high trash situations.

Farmers in the UK have found the Heliodor 9 extremely effective in the fight against blackgrass, according to the manufacturer. The machine has been used extensively where a shallow cultivation is required after harvest to get surface seeds to chit. The Heliodor 9 Disc harrow can do this ensuring all soil is cultivated across the full width of the machine. Even in heavy dry soils the individually sprung discs can use a shattering effect to penetrate the soil.

The mounted Heliodor versions with 3 and 4m working width, and the semi-mounted versions with 4–7m working width can be combined with Lemken’s pneumatic Solitair seed drill to create a cost effective and flexible cultivating and drilling system.

Larger farms and growers looking to a CTF system can achieve working widths of 8, 10, 12 and 16m in combination with the Lemken Gigant system carrier to achieve particularly high efficiency in cultivation operations.

The Rubin 10-disc harrow has proved popular for straw incorporation.

Rubin 10 disc harrow

The Rubin 10 has been well received by UK customers for primary cultivation work, especially where intensive straw incorporation has been required on a range of soil types, Lemken says.

The discs are arranged to produce symmetrical forces on both implement sides. The three central discs on the Rubin 10 have been offset along the longitudinal axis to ensure that they are able to work collision-free across the full width at a line distance of 12.5cm.

The Rubin 10 features surface-hardened DuraMaxx discs with a diameter of 645mm as standard. The new disc leg design with multiple bends provides plenty of clearance to prevent blockages. Each concave disc in the Rubin 10 is now equipped with an overload protection with dampened return to minimise frame loads. The overload protection pockets are welded to the frame to keep the discs perfectly on track.

An impact harrow behind the first row of discs improves the crumbling effect and distributes soil and organic matter in the direction of travel, while the rear impact and levelling harrow distributes the soil to form an even, level surface.

All folding versions feature hydraulic depth adjustment as standard. The semi-mounted compact disc harrows are optionally available with depth control wheels, which ensure even working depths in variable soils and precise pass alignment along slopes.

The Rubin 10 has working widths of 2.5–7m and available with a range of roller options to suit the customer’s requirements.