KRM to sell Carre Rotanet finger-tine rotary weeders

KRM has added Carre’s Rotanet rotary hoes to its range of mechanical weeders, three years after taking on the import job for the French firm’s Econet inter-row implements.

The Rotanet features a gang of 540mm finger wheels that each carry 16 spoon-bill teeth. These are designed to penetrate the ground vertically, breaking up the surface crust, flicking out emerging seedlings and aerating the top few centimetres of soil.

The wheels are mounted in a staggered formation along the main box section frame to reduce the likelihood of blockages, and they ride on separate arms with 8mm springs that allow them to follow ground contours at speeds of up to 15kph.

Individual hoe wheels can also be retracted so that they work only between the crop rows and an under-chassis clearance of 650mm means they can be used in standing crops.

See also: Buyer’s guide: Camera-guided sugar beet hoes

The high-tech version, Rotanet Control, allows operators to more accurately adjust the downward pressure of the hoe units from the tractor cab, through a range of 18-29kg. 

The extra paraphernalia required for that facility means the Control models are slightly heavier – the 7m model weighs 2,330kg, while a standard 9m model is 1,802kg. Power requirement for the latter is about 135hp.

Options include a new integrated comb harrow that makes sure weed roots are brought to the surface and dry out.

KRM expects the 6.5m Rotanet Control to be the most popular model. It has a list price of £41,650 and will be on the company’s stand at Lamma in early May.