Milling machine for corn crops: new Sicma RX-Mais

In line with the goal of providing increasingly specialised solutions and machines for the various needs of modern agriculture, Sicma has designed and developed the new RX-Mais milling machine specifically for the processing of corn crops.

Presented in November 2022 at the EIMA International fair in Bologna, Sicma introduces an innovative solution to the market for corn farmers, meeting the objectives to be pursued to develop a more modern and efficient agriculture.

The peculiarity of the milling machine for cornfields consists of the possibility of performing multiple agricultural processes achieved in just one single step.

The RX-Mais milling machine is in fact equipped with four special and hardox-reinforced anchors positioned in front of the rotor and 75 centimetres away from each other. Their length is oversized to penetrate more deeply into the soil and producing deep furrows, thus uprooting the crop residues in order to make the work of the hoes more effective.

The hoes, in addition to refining the soil, also perform an action of burying the corn stalks and the threshing residues. In this way a clean soil is obtained without the presence of harmful residues.

In addition, a special packer roller is installedon the milling machine, designed to be applied at the minimum distance from the machine so that the centre of gravity is as close as possible to the tractor in order to minimise oscillations and to facilitate the manoeuvrability of the tractor-agricultural machine system. The roller is also equipped with a double layer of blades on the area at the front anchors, a solution used to further compact and refine the soil to create a perfect seeding bed.

A first defence of the cornfield

Working of the soil and stalks after harvesting is a fundamental operation when growing corn as, through precise and meticulous processing, it is possible to put into practice a first strategy of crop defence.

After threshing and harvesting the corn, the stalks and stubble must be shredded and buried both to promote the deterioration of the fibres and to keep the pressure from the parasites low.

The presence of crop residues in the field can cause infestations by a series of phytophages that, if not adequately monitored and managed, can cause significant production drops.

The larvae of some insects – such as the corn pyralid, the nottua terricola and the pink borer use stalks and cobs as shelter to survive the winter in order to transform into a chrysalis in spring when, having become adults, they are the cause of infestation that causes serious damage to the crop.

The RX-Mais is therefore a specific milling machine for corn fields, developed to make the work of corn growers simpler and more effective. It is an agricultural machine that is used to remove stubble and crop residues from the soil, to work the soil and, at the same time, to create the necessary furrow for the sowing phase, which can take place simultaneously with the other operations through the application of seeders, greatly optimising the use of resources and time.

In this way, starting from the preliminary processing, it is possible to optimally prepare the soil and to offer the plants the best conditions for correct development.

The RX-Mais milling machine can be used in all maize crops that are particularly common in Northern Europe and North America but that are also generally widespread globally.