Having moved to Colorado to farm in the late 1990s, Tillso’s Chris Lane saw a strong demand for Simba DDs and related modified kit.

He started importing into the USA, but has since moved back to the UK and now specialises in supplying tailor-made Simba consolidation systems to the retrofit market. The Rake and Roll is a new concept, resulting in better slug control, better weed chitting and more consistent seedbed preparation if used before drilling, and better consolidation if used in place of a conventional roller, says Mr Lane.

“The principle is to even out the distribution of straw behind the combine, in a bid to reduce the reliance on Atlantis and prevent blackgrass resistance building up.

The 8.4m machine on show at LAMMA is more than able to keep up with the combine, claims the company, and needs as little as 100hp to pull it. The Aqueel-type roller reduces slug activity and, because it’s able to cope with damp conditions, increases the rolling window, too.