The era of burning residue on fields is over. Implements like LEMKEN’s Karat make life easier for farmers by eliminating the burning of fields and ensuring a beautiful, even seedbed that plants need for better yields.

Ru-El de Wet of Le Wettin Farming, an irrigation farmer outside Hopetown, has been using his 5 m Karat 12 for the third year and is very satisfied. He uses the Karat in winter to incorporate maize residues before planting his wheat. The tine combination implement works about 30 hectares per day or around 3,5 hectares per hour on their farm.

“The Karat helps to manage the organic residue. The residue is incorporated into the soil. The ineffective mixture of residue can cause a breeding ground for fungi. The Karat works the residue nicely into the soil, thoroughly mixing it so that it decomposes to enrich the soil and improve its texture.

Ru-El de Wet and his brother, Stephan de Wet, with the Karat 12 from LEMKEN. Ru-El uses the Karat to prepare his seedbed properly
and neatly before planting.

“The effective mixture of residue into the soil improves the organic material. Soil rich in organic material is cooler and keeps its moisture while enhancing fertiliser for the crop,” says Ru-El. Ru-El further notes that the soil structure is crumbly since he started using the Karat, which is exactly what a farmer wants. The Karat is a durable and robust implement that can work in various soil types. It is also easy for Ru-El to transport it between fields as it folds up.

“The Karat also helps with our time management because fields require less tillage,” he adds.

The Karat 12 has four bars compared to the Karat 9’s three bars on which the tines are placed. This results in a smaller inter-tine spacing and can handle more residue volume. This leads to much better compaction relief and improves the flow and mixing of soil and plant residues.

The implement requires minimal and easy maintenance, and parts are easily obtainable from AMC Agriculture in Hopetown. Ru-El is also very satisfied with the excellent advice and service provided by LEMKEN’s team.

For more information about LEMKEN’s innovative blue machines, contact Karel Munnik at (+27)82-412-2577 or k.munnik@ lemken.com; Blackie Swart at (+27)82-404-9651 or b.swart@lemken.com. Also, check out the website, www.lemken.com, to see what LEMKEN offers for your farming needs.