French distributor Le Roch has unveiled a new tractor-mounted, double-mouth swather, which it hopes will find favour with farmers looking to ditch end-of-season glyphosate applications.

The company reports rising interest in swathers to produce alfalfa silage and scythe immature oilseed rape and cereal crops.

The Spanish-built Tallares Tort can be specced with up to three moveable belts that allow owners to adjust how the swath is laid.

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Two belts can be set to run inwards to form a single row that runs under the tractor, or outwards to form two rows.

By adding a short extra belt section and blocking one of the mouths, it’s also possible to form larger swaths by shifting the crop in one direction to a single end opening.

This means rows can be laid alongside one another to form fewer, bigger swaths for the combine or forager, which may be particularly useful in thin crops or when using one of the narrower swather models.

Swath width can also be altered via the adjustable deflector plates to a maximum of 1.4m wide and 1.3m high.

The outfit is designed to be carried on the front linkage of a tractor, or on the rear for models with a reverse drive system.

Tractor power shouldn’t be an issue, says Le Roch – the 6.5m version weighs 2t and will need 150hp, while 4.5m units are a bit over 1t and require closer to 100hp.

The company says it is also possible to rig the kit to run on a forager or combine.

The belts, three side knives (one centrally, plus at either end) and cutterbar run from the tractor’s pto drive.

Reel adjustment is via a quick-coupling hydraulic system, which uses two double-acting and one single-acting spool.

Ground-running wheels at either end of the header help to follow ground contours and there’s a nitrogen accumulator to provide a degree of suspension.

There are 4.5m, 6.55m, 7.55m and 9.15m variants and the firm also offers a range of trolleys to cart them between sites.

Asking price for the 6.5m model is about €42,500 (£38,000) and the company is currently on the lookout for UK distributors.