Optimising Soil Aeration in the North of France with BEDNAR’s SWIFTERDISC XN5000 and TERRALAND Chisel Plough

The region is known for its highly quality agronomic soils. These loamy soils, although difficult to till, are rock-free, which makes it possible to produce all kinds of vegetables and root crops. A lot of potatoes, chicory, cabbages, beans, etc. are all produced there. With wheat, farmers achieve yields which regularly reach 11 to 12 tons per hectare, which makes the management of post-harvest residues very complex.

“In 2020, we were looking for a simple and robust disc cultivator. Cropping potatoes requires very expensive equipment, so, we wanted a simple and economical machine to limit our expenses. We then tried the SWIFTERDISC XN5000 mounted disc cultivator, and were immediately won over. We appreciate the manoeuvrability of the mounted models, which are very efficient in small fields or for making headlands,” declares the farmer.

“We use the SWIFTERDISC for initial stubble cultivation, after one pass of a mulcher. In summer, the machine cultivates 140 hectares and it is then reused in winter to destroy cover crops, on 70 hectares. It is very good at mixing residues with the soil. The aggressive 520 mm discs effectively cut the straw and accelerates their decomposition,” Mathieu commented.

“In our region, we suffer from compaction problems. In spite of irrigation, potatoes, beet and vegetable production, we need to disrupt hard soil layers regularly.
Previously, we had a chisel plough, of a competitor brand, equipped with curved subsoiler legs, that had a high mixing effect. However, with the multiplication of dry events these last years, we have started to look for a tool that aerates the soil profile without any mixing effect, thus preserving soil moisture. We then tried several machines during a demonstration and the TERRALAND TN3000 M7R chisel plough, with ZERO-MIX tines, caught our attention. We were seduced by the large number of tines and the quality of the subsoil tillage. After a single pass, our soils are truly aerated, the soil layers are not disturbed, which allows humidity to be kept at an appropriate depth and organic matter on the surface. The deeper soil does not rise, even during wet springs,” adds the farmer.

“We disrupt around 200 hectares each year with this machine and work at an average depth of 25 to 35 cm because we do not need to work deeper. We mainly use it to prepare our potato lands, in spring. This machine creates good agronomic conditions for this crop and is a good help for the bed former that we use before planting potatoes. We also work with this machine after a crop of peas, to sow beans, and after harvesting sugar beet, to seed wheat, because the soil has been compacted by the weight of the machines. “

TERRALAND TN3000 M7R chisel plough is also available in an ACTIVE-MIX version. The special shape of the tines provides easy soil penetration, and excellent loosening and mixing effect. In one pass, the soil profile is deep loosened and the soil surface is intensely mixed and levelled.

The TERRALAND chisel plough is available in ZERO-MIX and ACTIVE-MIX versions. Configure yours on our open configurator.

JOY OF FARMING
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BEDNAR FMT s.r.o.