21 March 2023
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'New combination works perfectly'
DUTCH grower Johan Slager, who runs potato processing company Pieperline Holland, says the new Ceres 440 it recently purchased is providing cost savings of around €100 per hectare.
The grower is using the Ceres 440, in combination with a MultiForce front cultivator.
"It’s the first parcel we’re using this combination on but it works perfectly. The ridges are nice and full, the only slight hiccup are some of the roots of the lucerne. Pre-germination takes place in germination boxes and the potatoes are of the Frieslander variety - and if all goes well we’ll be harvesting in June," he said.
The tractor has 200hp, which is sufficient to pull the combination and has to cover around 4 to 4.5 km/h on the light loamy soil which has a lutum content of around 18%.
"We opted for this combination to save costs because otherwise you have to ride out separately with the cultivator at the back and in our experience it’s perfectly possible to do both at the same time. This easily saves,” said Johan.
