sicma-rotary-harrows-an-ever-wider-range

The harrow is an agricultural machine used in the processing of large areas of land, orchards and vineyards.

Its main use is related to harrowing, that is, the work of finishing the terrain before preparing the seed bed. The Rotary Harrow is in fact the agricultural machine that flattens out and shreds the land that has previously been moved by the plough.

But the harrow is not only limited to these finishing processes. In fact, it is an agricultural tool that can be used for a series of other processes, some even with cultivation in progress.

In this article we will look at the main uses of the harrow, because it is a fundamental machine for correct working of the soil and as we at Sicma have invested in the technological development of new generation harrows that cover all needs for every type of soil and processing.

What is the harrow used for?

Let's start this article by explaining what the harrow is used for. Perhaps you already know what the functions of this machine are. If that’s the case then you can move on to the next paragraph.

The harrow is a machine that processes a surface layer of 5-15 cm. For this reason we use the harrow for those complementary tasks in agriculture that are carried out after a primary working of the soil, for example after a ploughing intervention that produces clods of a certain size.

The harrow is thus limited to working the surface layer of soil and reduces the size of the clods, mixes the crop residues and makes the surface more regular and homogeneous, forming a crumbled soil, flattened and ready for sowing.

But in addition to the reducing of large and compact clods into smaller agglomerations, the harrow is also used for other specific purposes:

• Burying seeds after scatter sowing;
• Burying mineral fertilisers distributed in pre-sowing;
• Burying volatile herbicides to prevent evaporation by incorporating them into the soil;
• Eliminating weeds and unwanted vegetation with or without crop in place;
• Breaking the surface crust of hardened earth;
• Making the surface of the terrain flat;
• And it can be used in place of ploughing in soil management techniques with the fewest number of steps to prepare the seed bed.

Due to the wide variety of uses, many in place of chemical practices, the harrow has a significant use in organic farming for correct soil working.

Soil processing focuses on the preparation of a soil and an environment suitable for the start and development of crops by preparing and developing a suitable crop profile (i.e. of all layers of the soil subject to processing).

Optimum soil processing through the use of machinery, including our Harrows, has the following effects:

• an increase in soil porosity, with advantages such as germination, the rooting of seedlings and water storage capacity;
• improvement of drainage;
• the burial of crop residues
• improving the structure of the land
• the mixing of layers and nutrients
• exposure of the soil to climatic agents
• pest control.

When is the best time to perform harrowing?

Let's explain now when the harrow is used. As with all questions involving a complicated area, the answer is: it depends.

As already stated, the main use of the harrow consists of the work that is complementary to the preparation of the seed bed. In these cases, of course, the harrowing must be performed after ploughing (or after an alternative main processing) and before sowing. So everything revolves around sowing. For this reason, the period of harrowing depends on the crop rotation.

In principle, it is preferable to leave the clods of earth exposed to the air for a certain period of time. In fact, if a rather long time elapses between ploughing and sowing (weeks or months), it is advisable to exploit the disintegrating action of the atmospheric agents on the clods, then carrying out the harrowing near the sowing. Also because harrowing performed too early can promote an early development of weeds and hardening of the soil due to the rains.

In essence, it is advisable to use the harrow close to the sowing period of the crop. And in cases where it is not possible to wait between ploughing and harrowing, usually when the times between one crop and the next are very tight, these processes can be performed simultaneously.

The Sicma Rotary Harrows

The harrow is an agricultural tool that has its roots back through the centuries. Our range of Rotary Harrows can be used for all soils and types of crops, including the most delicate ones. In fact, they are designed to meet the various needs of use and processing of the soil, allowing effective processing where the action of traditional harrows is insufficient or negligible.

The rotary harrow, or earth turner, differs from traditional harrows by the type of mechanical processing it imprints on the terrain. In fact, compared to classic harrows, which perform a process involving dragging of the harrow over the soil, the rotary harrow is characterised by the mechanical movement of rotation imprinted on horizontal cylinders equipped with vertical blades (also called teeth or knives) that is imparted by the power take-off of the tractor.

We have created a range of machines for work in open fields and for working in orchards, vineyards, horticulture, gardening and greenhouses.

The main function of our Rotary Harrows is to refine the soil to prepare it for sowing; in fact, the Sicma Harrows are almost all prepared to work in combination with a seed drill.

In addition, they can be used for the biological control of weeds in orchards and vineyards, thus representing a valid alternative to milling machines, but also to clod breakers and weeders.

We are talking about a machine that has partly revolutionised agriculture in recent years and that we at Sicma continue to improve. Because an increasingly specialised agriculture requires machinery that meets all the needs of the market.

The Sicma Rotary Harrows technology

At Sicma, we work to always be at the forefront of technologies for our agricultural machinery.

The models of the EA and EV series are compact machines and are therefore ideal for working in orchards, vineyards, for horticulture, gardening and greenhouses. The structure and the gearing are designed to give the maximum result, being widely oversized and identical to the superior models.

The EC Harrows series is suitable for use in the open field while the EZ series is a machine designed for processing with horticultural crops. It is available with 2, 3 and 4 rotors according to operational requirements.

The range is completed with the heaviest harrows and size grades that enable combining of the reduced dimensions during transportation with the superior performance of the Sicma tradition. Despite the achievement of high working widths, the weight is low and the operating and maintenance costs are reduced.

Discover the new range of Sicma Rotary Harrows

Technical characteristics of the Sicma Harrows

In our harrows each blade is fitted according to a defined mutual orientation that reduces the load peaks on the transmission parts while minimising vibrations. And this makes it possible to reduce consumption and maintenance costs.

Here is in detail the mechanism of the Rotary Harrow. This shows the technology we use to build state-of-the-art machinery that combines high performance and minimal maintenance.

In particular, the minimisation of the distance between the gearbox and the knife fork channels the earth flow towards the blades, resulting in perfect shredding of the terrain and unparalleled processing with both 2- and 3-blade harrows.

In addition, thanks to 4 rotors per metre, just one work operation is sufficient to achieve perfect soil refinement. The effort required is thus optimised and the consequent fuel consumption reduced.

At Sicma we have invested a lot of resources in study and experimentation to bring to the market a new-generation Rotary Harrow that guarantees high performance on all types of terrain. And this commitment continues to build increasingly better machinery to meet the different needs of each individual customer.