The Tig’Air from Bionalan at work in red beets. The machine works with a rotating reel that clamps the weeds against a smaller roller and pulls them up. Weeds must be sufficiently above the crop to get a good grip. The first units are now running in the Netherlands. So far all with a working width of 3 meters. Photos: Martin Smits
The French manufacturer Bionalan released a pilot series of the Tig’air weeder this year. In the Netherlands, the first units are already in operation. Future Farming observed the new Tig’air at work in organic red beets.
A rotating reel that rotates against 2 small driven rollers. That is the principle of the Tig’Air weed puller. Weeds that stick out above the crop end up between the rollers and are pulled out of the ground. The machine then deposits them loosely on top of the crop. Shoots in the beets are often even more prominent above the crop, and are also a willing prey for the weed puller.
Future Farming saw the Tig’Air at work in organic red beets with quite a lot of weeds, which are impossible to tackle by hand. Cock’s foot, a number of oraches and weeds that look a lot like peach weed. The hoeing had worked well: the weeds were mainly still in the rows, not between the rows. Mowing the weeds would be the alternative.
There is hardly any experience with the Tig’Air in the Netherlands, so it was exciting to see what the weed puller would achieve.
A large rotor with lifters rotates against two smaller synchronously driven rollers. The ratio of rotational speed to driving speed largely determines the result.
Mowing and Pulling
Some of the weeds, especially barnyard grass, were barely possible to pull out by hand on the demo plot. The Tig’Air also struggles with this. Barnyard grass needs to be grabbed close to the root. Due to the abundance of weeds, it quickly became clear that even the weeds that aren’t completely pulled out are more or less mowed down. On the other hand, weeds that are firmly rooted, such as mature goosefoot, are completely pulled out by the Tig’Air. As long as the rollers get a good grip and the stem doesn’t break, the machine exerts a lot of force on it.
Low power requirement, but the tractor must be heavy enough to remain balanced
And that’s where part of the trick lies: adjusting the machine so that it gets enough grip on the weeds and pulls them more or less straight upwards to avoid breaking the stems. In practice, it’s a combination of height, speed, and driving speed.
Easy to Adjust
Maintenance on the Tig’Air involves greasing a few grease nipples and possibly tightening the chain once. The drive system has a fixed ratio, with no gearbox or the option to change gears. The driving speed, or more precisely, the selected gear of the tractor, must match the machine: the rotor needs to spin slightly faster than the tractor moves. With a mechanical transmission, increasing the PTO (power take-off) speed means that the ratio between the rotor speed and driving speed remains constant. However, this does not mean the throttle can be fully opened, as the speed at which the rotor pulls out the weeds can also become too high. If the rotor spins too fast, the weeds will break too easily.
Effective weed pulling remains the top priority for now.
A CVT tractor is ideal in this regard, although it is not strictly necessary in practice. Speeds of 2 to 3 kilometers per hour and 350 to 400 PTO rpm work well under most conditions. Engine power is rarely a limiting factor. However, the tractor must be large enough to lift the machine and remain stable during operation.
This brings us to potential improvements, which Bionalan is reportedly already working on. Rear support wheels could make the machine more stable during operation. They are also considering a hydraulic drive, which could allow for a lighter frame construction at the front. Another idea, though still far from practical implementation, is a version that collects the pulled weeds as well. For now, effective weed pulling remains the top priority.
Maintenance is a matter of greasing a few grease nipples and possibly tightening the chain once. The drive system has no gearbox or the option to change gears.
If mowing is the alternative
Mowing is an alternative. However, even though the Tig’Air does not remove all the weeds, it still pulls a significant percentage of the weeds from the ground. This is much more than what could ever be done by hand. The success rate depends on the situation: what type of weeds, how large they are, and how dry the soil is. As expected, during the demo, it became clear that on soil that had been watered half a day earlier, the machine was able to pull out more weeds than when the soil—clay soil in this case—was completely dry. It makes sense: if you cannot pull the weeds out with two hands, the machine will also struggle.
The driving speed is around 2, up to a maximum of 3.5 to 4 kilometers per hour. The power requirement is low, but the tractor needs to be heavy enough to balance the 1,650-kilogram weight of the machine. A 100-horsepower four-cylinder tractor with some front weights, if necessary, can handle the machine well.
If the rotor has a good grip on strong weed plants, it exerts considerable downward force on the machine. Maintaining a precise and consistent height above the crop is crucial for proper operation. Rear guide wheels are included but not yet available for delivery.
Developed in practice
Bionalan focuses specifically on machines for organic farming. The family business was founded in 2013 by Alain Bon, a former arable farmer and contractor. He develops the machines based on practical experience.
Agribiosolutions is the importer for the Netherlands and Belgium. The importer has delivered several units from the pilot series this year. There is also a demo machine available, which has been used on various crops.
