- KRM Ltd of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire will be demonstrating a new powered Strip Till Cultivator for the first time at the Tillage-Live event
With up to 70% of the soil surface remaining untouched, cover crops or a grass sward can be left in place and the surface can be maintained for subsequent operations such as Maize harvest. Further benefits include power, fuel and wearing metal not being consumed unnecessarily.
Through only cultivating the strip where the seed is to be planted, the benefits of conventional cultivation regimes and no-till farming are all realised. At the same time, costs are reduced by virtue of having fewer passes and only working the area where the seeds will be placed.
Using the Strip Till allows air into the soil and darkens the colour resulting in faster drying and warming in the spring, thus encouraging rapid germination and strong crop growth.
The Strip Till creates strips of worked soil ready for planting. A leading tine breaks the soil surface; this is followed by driven rotavator blades which create a fine tilth to a depth of between 15 and 25cm depending on crop requirements; finally, a segmented roller consolidates the strip ready for planting. Solid or liquid fertiliser can be applied at the same time.
The Strip Till is available in 2 models: the 3000/750/4, as its designation suggests, has 4 rows at 750mm centres – the common spacing for fodder maize. And the 3000/500/6, which has 6 rows at 500mm centres, which is more commonly used for energy crop production and sugar beet.
Available as an option, the rear linkage allows a suitable drill or planter to be mounted directly to the Strip Till creating a true one pass system, further reducing time and costs.
The 4-row machine has a retail price of £42,080.
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