As farmers gear up for harvest, it’s worth considering how to control pests and weeds post harvest. Effective residue management requires complete removal of crop stubble so insects like corn borers and boll weevils have no chance to leave everlasting damage to future crops.
The Major Cyclone Shredder is designed for this purpose: to cut and shred tough stalk stubble.. Conventional flail shredders quickly reach their limits in the fields and do not get to each stalk. The heavy duty shredder has a patented double-chop blade system that shreds and mulches material much like a blender. The resulting material is chopped finely and evenly distributed on the ground leaving no windrows.
Ingo Jansen, an agricultural contractor in Emsland, in Northern Germany has been using the Major Cyclone to combat leafrollers on his maize crop. “There are a number of advantages to this system,” explained Mr. Jansen. “It is in this dry stalk area where parasites can find a place to stay for the winter. The Cyclone effectively shreds the remainder of the plant,” said Mr. Jansen.
The blades mulch and spread the crop residue evenly to speed up the decomposition process so nutrients can quickly return to the soil. Heavy duty full-length rear rollers bend stalk fibers flat on the field which rots more quickly on the ground. This of course reduces the risk of fungal diseases.
A conventional flail shredder would have ground contact to process stubble intensively. The rotary blade system has little to no ground contact which means significant savings in fuel and less wear over the machine’s lifetime. The Major Cyclone requires 50% less power and fuel requirements than a similar-sized flail. For example, a 140-hp tractor with a PTO at 1000/rpm is enough to power the 20-ft shredder.
The folding shredder is also advantageous for contractors who need to travel from site to site. The 20-ft model has a narrow 9-foot transport width for easy road transport without additional equipment.
Final advice for post harvest?
“Best to chop that stubble directly after the harvest, when the stalks are still juicy,” says Mr. Jansen.
Want to have a live demonstration on your farm? Contact an authorized dealer near you.
Post was updated on August 21, 2023.
