Organic rotovator: alternative to chemical weed control

Biomill and Biomulch. They are different names for machines with essentially the same goal: to till as shallow as possible to cut grass or cover crops just above the root and to throw it down lightly. It then quickly dies. Various suppliers and users were asked about their experiences with this type of tool.

The common denominator in the answers is the search for an alternative to chemical weed control. More and more arable farmers are purchasing a organic rotovator. No-tillage and compulsory cover crops on sandy soil are the drivers of interest, but also the increasing attention of arable farmers to the quality of the soil. Organic matter and soil life are keywords.

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More rotations, fewer rolls

In its simplest form, an organic rotovator is a common cultivator where the roller is omitted to lay down grass or cover crops as lightly as possible. There are wheels at the front for the depth control. A hydraulic valve makes it possible to control the flow of soil and crop residues.

“Thicker, wider and longer blades for a complete overlap was a further development that we made with our rotovator machine,” says Christiaan Zutt on behalf of Vlaming, the importer of Concept Agri (formerly Concept-Perugini) importer Fleming. In addition to arable farmers, various bulb growers are now also using an organic rotovator. They are looking for a way to kill grassland for bulb cultivation without glyphosate. Scraping just above the root works better than cultivating the entire sod. And it won’t turn into a mud puddle if a lot of water falls after cultivating.

Kuhn importer Reesink prefers to call the organic rotovator Biomulch. The biggest difference between a conventional rotovator and the Biomulch also lies with Kuhn in the virtually angled blades for shallow processing of the entire width and a higher speed of the rotor. In principle, the cutter can also work deep and do the work of a conventional cutter, says Reesink product specialist Christiaan Borkus. The only point is that the rotovator will then pull very heavily. That is why the supplier advises to fit a conventional rotor for that purpose.

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Different principles

There are different suppliers of organic rotovator machines. Well-known names are Celli, Maschio, Kuhn and Alpego. The Concept Agri cultivator works as an overtop cultivator and is therefore an exception. This differs from a typical grassland renewal rotary cutter in that there is no sieve built into the hood. Concept Agri now installs an anti-stick plastic plate in the hood to prevent soil from caking under the hood.

More than any other cultivator on the market, the Austrian Geohobel has been specifically designed as an organic rotovator. No curved blades, but more shovels like in a rotary spading machine that are designed to scrape off the top layer thinly and evenly. One thing is the same for all bio tillers: shallow cultivating across the entire width is only possible if the land is flat. The success of the organic rotovator machine therefore does not only depend on the technique and the adjustment of the rotovator machine, but starts with good preparation. Flat land, every trace is one too many.

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