A new implement for moisture-conserving ultra-shallow tillage has been added to the Amazone equipment range.

The TopCut is designed to work at up to 20kph no more than 2cm deep, and at its core is a single- or double-row knife roller that is said to be effective in trashing cover crop vegetation and oilseed rape or maize stubbles by dint of its cutting and crushing action.

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To that extent, the trailed 12.1m-wide implement is similar to other knife rollers, but Amazone has taken the basic concept further by offering complementary soil-working equipment options with several potential combinations.

First, in the core section, the second row of reversible blades can be replaced by a bank of the manufacturer’s straight-running Minimum TillDisc, a fluted, wavy edge design that adds a different residue chopping action for a more thorough result, as well as further aggressive working of the soil.

Whatever the core setup, the implement can then be extended at the front by a knife roller and at the rear by a three-row flexible tine straw harrow to riddle and level the surface.

The hydraulically-adjustable harrow’s action is reckoned to help expose seeds to moist soil, encouraging germination for subsequent spray or cultivation control.

Alternatively, foregoing the extra front-mounted knife roller allows a disc-type or wedge ring packing roller to be installed in place of the tine harrow.