Cereals saw the debut of the Garford Farm Machinery Flexi Hood, which will now go onto Groundswell. The unit comprises floating side shields with a flexible fabric membrane and is said to offer maximum precision at high work rates.
It was initially developed at the request of tree growers, who wanted a hooded unit to control weeds between saplings. As such the machine has been designed with a spray band width that can be adjusted down to 90mm.
“It allows us to go much narrower than we ever have before, and also gives us greater clearance between the hoods for the crop to go through,” explains Allan Knight, Garford Farm Machinery’s technical sales and marketing manager.
“This makes it an attractive proposition for a number of crop applications, from saplings and root crops to fresh produce, salads and herbs and even bulbs,” he adds.
The flexible membrane and side shields prevent droplets from dissipating onto the crop. The floating elements of the shields enable to the machine to follow contours, while the membrane is able to flex to ensure the best possible seal in all conditions.
“This has enabled us to reduce crop clearance by half, from 200mm to 100mm, and the Flexi Hood can also be used in raised bed or flat-bed situations,” explains Mr Allan.
For more information go to www.garford.com