Surfer to tackle weed beet growth
Surfer to tackle weed beet growth
A ROTARY cutter designed to remove weed beet growth from sugar beet crops has been developed by CTM Harpley Engineering.
Called the Weed Beet Surfer, the unit incorporates 10 four-blade rotors to create a 6.4m cutting width – sufficient to cover 12 rows of beet in a single pass.
Designed to be operated by a relatively light, low powered tractor – the unit weighs in at 650kg and can be front or rear mounted. CTMs Nigel Mountain says the Surfer could be an ideal implement for a contractor looking for a niche market. "The operating window for weed beet cutting is less than eight weeks," he says. "So the demand would be extensive."
According to research by CTM Harpley, weed control with the Surfer costs about £20/ha for two to three passes – a price claimed to compare favourably with alternative methods of weed beet control. List price of the Surfer is £6600. *
Weed beet control in sugar beet crops with CPM Harpleys Weed Beet Surfer. For transport the 6.4m unit is trailed from an end mounted hitch.