Ultra-shallow soil tillage, stubble cultivation and catch crop management are increasingly important, particularly in view of growing challenges posed by drought, chemical resistance and the requirements to reduce the use of plant protection agents. In order to meet these increasing demands, Amazone introduces the mounted TopCut 5000-2 and 6000-2 cutting roller in 5 m and 6 m working widths.
The first stubble cultivation should create an ideal seedbed for the emergence of volunteer cereals, weed seeds and grass weed seeds. This allows unwanted plants to germinate directly after the stubble has been moved and thus can be controlled mechanically in a second pass. Ultra-shallow top working giving optimum germination conditions is essential, particularly with regard to old rape regrowth and in the problem areas of black grass and loose silky bent. The seeds must not be incorporated too deeply in the soil, in order to prevent dormancy. This type of mechanical weed control can significantly reduce the amount of plant protection agents required.
Well-rotted organic materials are essential for field hygiene. Intensive shredding and bruising of organic matter accelerates decomposition by micro-organisms and soil organisms. This reduces the transmission of fungal diseases and pests and improves the availability of nutrients from plant residues.
In view of increasing summer dryness, reducing evaporation is important. Ultra-shallow top working means that the capillarity is only broken in the top layer. The soil structure underneath remains unworked and can therefore absorb moisture more quickly when it rains. In addition, it is important to ensure an even distribution of straw or organic matter in the field. An even straw cover keeps the moisture in the soil and serves as an insulating layer in dry years.
TopCut 5000-2 and 6000-2 combinations
The mounted machines consist of the main working segment with 2 knife rollers running one behind the other and can also be equipped with an optional three-row harrow. The knife rollers, known from compact disc harrows, are ideal for the intensive shredding of long plant residues such as rape stalks, sunflower stalks or catch crops. The knife rollers intensively shred and bruise the plant residues, significantly accelerating the decomposition process. In addition, despite the shallow cultivation of just 0-2 cm, the knife rollers produce enough fine soil for optimum seedbed generation and thereby encourage weed seeds and volunteer cereals to germinate. The double-knife roller can also be used for seedbed preparation and generating a stale seedbed. The high circumferential speed produces a good crumbling effect.
As an option, and to further improve straw distribution after the combine, the three-row harrow can be used behind the main working segment. In addition to improving the straw distribution, it also shakes the seeds out of the straw, pods or ears and produces additional fine soil. This helps in the emergence of weeds. The straw harrow can optionally be ordered as an HD variant with tungsten carbide tips, which considerably increases the service life. The aggressiveness of the harrow can be altered hydraulically from the cab whilst on the move.
Universal front and rear mounting
The base machine, without the optional harrow, can be used either on the front linkage or the rear hydraulics with Cat. 3 and 3N. The variant with the option of the three-row harrow can only be used as a rear-mounted version. Front attachment has proven successful for shredding catch crops, as they are not pressed down by the tractor tyres beforehand. In addition, front attachment in combination with a compact disc harrow is ideal for e.g. shredding and incorporating catch crops or maize stubble in a single pass.
Furthermore, the front attachment can be optimally combined with a direct seed drill. With this combination, a catch crop is shredded and the following crop is sown directly in a single pass. This Cut ‘n’ Sow principle enables high-performance, reliable and cost-effective sowing in a single pass.
With universal all year round use
The TopCut mounted cutting roller combination can be integrated into conventional mulch sowing systems, sowing after the plough or when direct sowing. Thanks to a working width of 5 or 6 m and a high working speed of up to 20 km/h, daily work rates can be achieved in a cost-effective manner with a very low fuel consumption. Thanks to the reversible knives on the knife roller, the service life of the knives can be doubled and wear costs for the user minimized.
