Potato Review

46 POTATO REVIEW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 MACHINERY SABRE SOIL RESTRUCTURING TINE SYSTEM TO BE SOLD AND DISTRIBUTED IN UK Tillso’s specialist cultivations equipment will be sold and distributed in the UK via Lincoln-based Spaldings under a new long-term agreement. e patented Sabre tine assembly is a multi-component system designed for restructuring of compacted soils using subsoilers or cultivators incorporating soil loosening tines. e patented Sabre design results from intensive studies of soil mechanics and consists of a common point and shin used with a choice of four soil-lifting wing assemblies. is enables growers to equip their heavy tine implements with the most appropriate con guration for e ective restructuring of compacted zones in di erent soil types at di erent depths. By observing the correct relationship between working depth and tine spacing, implements equipped with the Sabre system loosen subsoils across the entire working width with minimal disturbance at the surface. In addition to being standard equipment on Tillso’s Advantage subsoiler, the Sabre system can be retro- tted to a large number of other manufacturers’ subsoilers and cultivators equipped with soil- loosening tines. e Ultralite and Mono assemblies have a single xing to secure a one-piece delta-shaped wing; the Ultralite is designed to work 150- 250mm deep with tines spaced 400-500mm apart, while the Mono’s working depth range is 225-400mm at 600-750mm leg spacing. Tillso’s Lite and Max tines have a di erent arrangement that comprises a cast supporting frog with separate left- and right-hand wing assemblies bolted on. e Lite version with a single wide wing slat each side is designed for a working depth of 225-350mm at 500-600mm leg spacing, while the Max has two chisel-like wing slats on either side for soil-loosening depths of 225-450mm at a leg spacing of 650-800mm. Each of the four versions uses the same shin and point secured in place by a roll pin and with carbide tiles for protection, and with replaceable side wear plates protecting the lower portion of the leg. Chris Lane said the design of each component and of the assembly as a whole is calculated to apply controlled tension to compacted soil beneath the surface, which then fractures as it is lifted and falls o the wings. “ is precise, targeted restructuring action results in a permanent rearrangement of soil aggregates, with vertical ssures and columns of soil that support subsequent tra c and help to preserve the favourable structure,” he said. Foldable AVR ridger meets demand for mechanical weed control To meet the increase in scale in bio cultivation and the increasing demand for a complementary cultivation operation in conventional farming, AVR has introduced a foldable ridger to remove weeds from even more ridges in one working passage For years now AVR has been designing and selling its combination machine, which consists of a base chassis with a characteristic weight transfer system, to which di erent elements can be added. is way the machine can be used as a speed ridger, hoe-rake ridger or eco ridger. e eco ridger and hoe-rake ridger ensure environmentally friendly mechanical weeding on the ridge sides. e eco ridger scrapes o the weeds, applies a ne layer of soil and nishes by reforming the ridges. e hoe-rake ridger, on the other hand, ensures a deeper removal of the weeds, which makes it e cient for use in root cultivation. e speed ridger uses large ridging discs to create large, tightly formed ridges when there is no need for a driven soil cultivation. For the 2021 season, the machines are available with a starting price of 23.100€. 26 ton transport capacity Slovenian tipper body specialist Farmtech’s heavy-duty dump tipper Gravis 2000 o ers a hardy alternative to shifting heavy soil and stones. e conical shape of Farmtech’s Gravis 2000 dumper body is made exclusively out of Hardox® 450 wear plate to ensure endurance both o -road and on-road. Farmtech is an Austrian-owned agricultural equipment company whose core markets are Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia and Switzerland.