Rotary hoe joins mechanical weeding range 

• Kuhn Farm Machinery has increased its mechanical weeding range with the Starliner rotary hoe for removing weeds in young crops and aerating the soil surface. 

The Starliner joins the Rowliner and Tineliner in Kuhn’s growing range of mechanical weeding tools. These are aimed at arable farmers exploring novel techniques for weed control to reduce their reliance on plant protection products.  

The sole model available in the range is the Starliner 630, which has a 6.3m working width and folds to 2.96m wide for transport. Central to the design are the 63 rotary stars, each mounted and suspended individually, to follow ground contours and avoid crop damage. Each arm has 28kg of constant ground pressure through individual torsion springs to help break up crusty soil surfaces and uproot weeds. 

Hardened 180mm-wide spoon tips are fixed around the edge of each star and face rearwards to lift the top few centimetres of soil to improve aeration. The tips are individually replaceable and easily displace the smaller weed plants which then remain on the surface once the machine has passed through. Edd Fanshawe, Kuhn’s arable product specialist, says the Starliner can work in a wide range of crops and establishment approaches. 

“The Starliner can be adapted to winter and spring crops including wheat, barley, oats, maize, and direct drilled or no-till systems, allowing growers an alternative weed control method. The Starliner can work in crops at varying growth stages, but weeding timing is essential to avoid excessive crop damage. The aggressivity of the machine can be altered by increasing forward speed, between 12-25kph, or adjusting the height of the gauge wheels.” 

The UK won’t receive any Starliner models initially, but interested buyers should contact their local Kuhn area sales representative to discuss availability schedules. 

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