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www.age.co.nz Thursday, February 13, 2020
Autumn PASTURE& FERTILISER
2020
Einbock Grass-Manager shows way forward for pasture management The future of farm machinery lies not just in being proÿ table, but also being environmentally friendly, Tulloch Farm Machines managing director John Tulloch believes. “I can sense a change in the air, with more of an emphasis on care for the environment and less on chemical reliance.” John foresees a growing market for farm machines that achieve better results for farmers through environment-friendly innovation. As an example, he points to the Einbock Grass-Manager which is ideal for pasture rejuvenation.
Tulloch Farm Machines managing director John Tulloch with the Einbock Pneumaticstar.
The vibrating tines on the GrassManager stimulate the grass, breaking up what has often become a thick matting of thatched grass, moss, and panicle, aerating the soil and giving important grasses and herbs more light and space to grow.
The Pneumaticstar can also be used for brassicas.
This simple action can extend the life of a pasture by several years, John says, therefore reducing the need for paddocks to be sprayed with herbicides and reseeded. Where partial or full reseeding of a paddock is required, the Einbock Pneumaticstar does the trick, being essentially the Grass-Manager with added seed boxes and dispersal mechanisms.
“They give an even distribution of seed, even on the toughest and most stony ground. By using longer hook tines in lieu of straight tines, both the Grass-Manager and Pneumaticstar can also be used for weeding row crops, reducing the need to spray.
“The seeder is accurate down to one kilogram of brassica seeds per hectare. They are very competitively priced when compared to other more common seed drill methods.
“Every time you spray weeds, the crop takes a hit too,” John points out. “Using the Grass-Manager/
Pneumaticstar in this way, pre and post emergence, the weeds die and the crop responds even better because the tines are also aerating the soil.” None of this comes at a high price, John says. “They are very low cost, even for the complete set, which allows farmers to reconÿ gure the machines for pasture renewal, sowing and weeding. “The fuel costs are low as they are a lightweight machine that go fast and typically have a six-metre span. They are very good on hills, and only need a small tractor to pull them. We have sold a lot in Southland and Otago with fantastic results.”
THE PERFECT GRASSLAND CARE IS POSSIBLE WITH THE EINBOCK PNEUMATICSTAR UNIVERSAL SEEDER! • Working widths from 2.0m to 12m depending on version • 60 tines per section (40 tines/metre) • Versatile control and metering with optional P-Box Speed • Optional Pro version with 10mm tines and H/duty frame
300 High Street, Solway, Masterton Shorty 027 294 5010 • 06 370 0390
www.tfmtractors.nz
GREEN HARVEST