Opico will launch thePasture Harrow, a new grassland management tool that will allow the sward in grazed fields to regenerate faster and more completely, at the 2012 Livestock Show.
This multi-tasking tool levels out molehills, disperses muck heaps and cow pats, and aerates the sward so that lost ground is regained, free nutrients are better distributed and regrowth can occur throughout the whole sward, boosted by improved aeration.
Designed by Opico and built by Austrian manufacturer Hatzenbichler, the Pasture Harrow has two rows of spreading plates at the front. The plates in the first row are 95mm wide and drag along the ground dispersing molehills and knocking off the top crust of cow pats. The second row’s plates are offset and these break up the rest of the cow pat and spread the muck and soil. At the rear, two rows of spring tines further distribute the loosened materials and also aerate the sward.
The Pasture Harrow has a galvanised finish to protect it from the corrosive effects of muck and slurry.
“By the time cattle have grazed a field down and are moved out, up to 15 per cent of the sward can be covered by cow pats,” Opico’s grassland specialist, Neil Robinson, said. “The grass underneath these can’t grow and, especially in dry weather, these take a long time to break down. So when cattle return to the field, there’s always a percentage of the ground with no grass regrowth but plenty of fertiliser!
“Using the Pasture Harrow, the cow pats are dispersed allowing the grass underneath to grow and the nutrients from the manure to be used more efficiently. The harrowing tines remove the immediate trash at the bottom of the sward and aerate it, thus encouraging better root growth and faster plant recovery.”
This multi-tasking tool levels out molehills, disperses muck heaps and cow pats, and aerates the sward so that lost ground is regained, free nutrients are better distributed and regrowth can occur throughout the whole sward, boosted by improved aeration.
Designed by Opico and built by Austrian manufacturer Hatzenbichler, the Pasture Harrow has two rows of spreading plates at the front. The plates in the first row are 95mm wide and drag along the ground dispersing molehills and knocking off the top crust of cow pats. The second row’s plates are offset and these break up the rest of the cow pat and spread the muck and soil. At the rear, two rows of spring tines further distribute the loosened materials and also aerate the sward.
The Pasture Harrow has a galvanised finish to protect it from the corrosive effects of muck and slurry.
“By the time cattle have grazed a field down and are moved out, up to 15 per cent of the sward can be covered by cow pats,” Opico’s grassland specialist, Neil Robinson, said. “The grass underneath these can’t grow and, especially in dry weather, these take a long time to break down. So when cattle return to the field, there’s always a percentage of the ground with no grass regrowth but plenty of fertiliser!
“Using the Pasture Harrow, the cow pats are dispersed allowing the grass underneath to grow and the nutrients from the manure to be used more efficiently. The harrowing tines remove the immediate trash at the bottom of the sward and aerate it, thus encouraging better root growth and faster plant recovery.”
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The Pasture Harrow has two rows of paddles that break up and level soil and muck, and two rows of spring tines that spread the loosened materials and aerate the sward. |
The Pasture Harrow is the latest innovation to join Opico’s range of grassland machinery. Already on the market are the Sward-Lifter for subsoiling, Sward-Slitter for aerating the soil and the Grass Harrow and Air Seeders for reseeding and overseeding. Together with Opico’s Grass Rolls, these make up a comprehensive range of grassland management equipment for livestock farmers.
The Pasture Harrow is available in three working widths – 2.5m, 5.0m and 6.0m. The retail price of the 5.0m model is £7,861 + VAT (Price correct at September 2012).
For more information visit: www.opico.co.uk.
NB: Edited on September 4, 2012 to add 2.5m working width machine and price for 5.0m model.
