Range updates ahead of Agritechnica
11th December 2021
Amazone has announced new models and upgrades in its plough, cultivator, drill, spreader and sprayer ranges. David Williams reports.
Solutions to meet challenges associated with ultra-shallow tillage have been a focus for Amazone’s cultivation product designers.
Cobra shallow cultivator
Available in a 6m working width by mid-2022, and a 7m width for early 2023, the Cobra has six lines of tines to handle high volumes of organic matter while achieving a 13.3cm tine spacing. Eco leaf-spring tines vibrate for a fine soil mix to ensure optimum germination of weed and volunteer seeds when used for mechanical weed control, or to provide best possible conditions for crop establishment during seedbed creation. With a selection of 220mm goose-foot shares available, the Cobra achieves full surface movement at very shallow working depths of 4–13cm during stubble cultivations. For mid–deep mixing and loosening, a narrower 50mm share can be fitted.
Working depth is adjusted from the tractor cab, and set through the following roller and large support wheels which are mounted within the tine area to maintain accurate control of the tine working depth on undulating ground. The rear packer and support wheels are linked so that relative working positions remain constant even when the depth is altered. For operation without the rear packer, then depth adjustment is through the main transport wheels and front support wheels. Spring- mounted drag tines can be attached behind the tine unit for optimum levelling and even consolidation. A choice of 10 rear packers including single and double versions is available and working pressure is maintained through a parallelogram linkage. The optional levelling unit is mounted on the rollers so that when the working depth changes, the consolidation and levelling performance remains constant.
For thorough chopping of heavy stubbles or cover crops, an optional front knife roller can be fitted, and there is also a crushboard option to chop clods and level the surface ahead of the tines.
TopCut tool carrier
The TopCut is being introduced in response to demands for a cultivator capable of meeting a range of priorities including creating stale seedbeds, chopping vegetation and organic matter, and preserving moisture, while working only as deep as necessary to avoid burying seeds and to reduce evaporation.
The TopCut has three sections including a front toolbar, a main tillage section and a rear section to carry a harrow or a packer for consolidation and moisture retention. Users can fit appropriate cultivation elements to suit the crop and situation and trials of a 12m version commenced in 2021, and are continuing with the addition of a larger range of optional tillage elements.
X-Cutter disc
The new X-Cutter disc is also designed for very shallow tillage and is available for the Catros compact disc harrow. The wavy profile disc creates intensive soil movement for thorough mixing close to the surface creating ideal conditions for following crops. The new X-Cutter discs allow operation at shallower depths than alternative designs, helping retain moisture.
The new discs are also ideal for operating in tall catch crops and achieve thorough shredding across the full working width.
The discs are 480mm diameter and designed to operate down to 2–8cm. They can be retrofitted to Catros TX and Catros XL models.
A further option is a leading knife roller, and when fitted to the Catros in combination with the X-Cutter discs, this results in cross-dimensional chopping for thorough shredding of stubbles, straw and catch crops.
High spec semi-mounted plough
The Amazone plough range has been increased with the addition of the top Tyrok 400 semi-mounted reversible model. The Tyrok comes in 7, 8 or 9f sizes with a 400hp-rated headstock. New SpeedBlade plough bodies have a patented extra large front shin to reduce wear to the main mouldboard. Even at high working speeds, wear only affects the front shin so wear costs are dramatically reduced compared to other designs.
An additional design feature is that the point covers the blade, protecting the joint. This prevents plant residues or baler twine becoming tangled and the open frog prevents soil sticking under the frog reducing the draft force needed.
Tyrok wearing parts are made with a unique hardening process for maximum working life.
Slatted and solid mouldboard profiles are available, and the points are also available as an HD version or as reversible interchangeable points for short set-up times and less wear.
The robust main beam is 200x150x10mm to resist bending in work and ensure a uniform result.
SmartTurn improves timeliness during headland turns by allowing rapid plough movement with a damping effect just before the end of travel to reduce stress on the components, and turns are completed in less than nine seconds. Optional hydraulic overload protection is available.
Hydraulic furrow width adjustment is an option. AutoAdapt automatic front furrow width adjustment adapts the front furrow setting as the working width is altered and ensures that
even when the plough is adjusted on the move, furrow matching remains perfect.
The headstock allows the line of pull to be optimised and an optional weight transfer system maximises traction.
Versatile power harrow
A new KE 3002-240 3m power harrow is designed for tractors up to 240hp. It uses Amazone’s Rotamix system with twelve small diameter rotors. These have a small spur gear diameter, so the design is compact and light, reducing the lift capacity required. It also keeps mounted drills closer to the tractor for improved stability and reduces the front ballasting requirement.
QuickLink coupling allows mounted drills to be attached quickly and makes it easy to swap tillage implements to suit conditions when drilling with the Cataya pneumatic seeder. The new Precea-A precision air seeder can also be connected without tools. Optional hydraulic depth control is available. The levelling board depth is controlled by the rear packer roller, and it deflects upwards if an overload occurs.
Rear packer options from a light cage roller to a wedge ring roller are available.
For smaller tractors
Two new rigid versions of the Ceus 3000-TX and 4000-TX cultivators have been added, allowing the popular disc and tine combination to be used on smaller tractors from 150hp. Both have central running gear allowing accurate control, and making them suitable for soil working from stubble and primary tillage to seedbed preparation.
The disc and tine combination achieves a good mix at working speeds up to 15kph. Straw, stubble and catch crops are finely shredded by the discs and the tines then achieve thorough mixing. Tine spacing is 40cm allowing the cultivator to cope with high volumes of trash. Working depth down to 30cm is possible, but the design also lends itself to shallow cultivations with the points set to work just below the disc depth for heavy, wet conditions and achieves a coarse finish to resist capping. Various C-Mix shares are available to suit all types of application. Spring overload protection is standard, but hydraulic protection is an option, allowing the trip force to be adjusted up to 800kg.
Levelling is by smooth or serrated discs or spring tine levellers and the height and inclination of the side discs can be adjusted for perfect bout matching. There are 11 rear packer and levelling harrow options, but the rear roller can also be removed completely for wet working conditions to encourage faster drying.
As well as the new trailed sprayers already mentioned, other sprayer news includes DirectInject which is available for all UX 01 single-axle trailed sprayers with Isobus, AmaSwitch or AmaSelect single nozzle control and the DUS pro high-pressure recirculation system.
As the name suggests, DirectInject provides direct injection of plant protection products into the spray lines allowing their application to be started or stopped almost instantly
as required. Chemical is carried in a separate 50-litre tank with its own metering system, and can be added to the diluted spray agent from the main tank during applications – in response to weed problems in particular areas, for example. Twin lines use one to carry diluted spray agent to the nozzles from the main tank, but when the additional chemical is needed, then supply is switched to the second line which also carries diluted agent from the main tank, but has chemical from the second, smaller tank too. When DirectInject is selected, then circulation through the booms is stopped, preventing the additional chemical being transferred to the first line and remaining in the system after use. Advantages include possible use of undiluted agent so that any chemical remaining in the smaller tank after spraying has finished can be returned to the original container.
Spreading accuracy increased
WindControl won the 2017 Farmers Guide Award for Excellence. Mounted to a spreader during fertiliser applications, the device monitors wind strength and direction and the spread pattern is constantly adjusted to compensate for the wind effect to maintain accurate application. Previously WindControl was only an option for spreaders equipped with ArgusTwin spread fan monitoring, but now it is also capable of working with ZA-TS mounted spreaders and ZG-TS trailed versions.
