Front linkage gains popularity in springtime activities

The front linkage is increasingly being used for activities that take place in spring.

Grass overseeding
One of the reasons for this is that the popularity of grass overseeding, for instance, has grown enormously. By overseeding the leys with grass, the quality and yield of farmers’ own pastures can be maintained or even significantly improved, because the share of good grasses in the grassland is increased.

Tine weeding
An important preparation for overseeding grass is tine weeding, which often takes place in the front hitch. Tine weeders ensure that sprouting weeds and loose or dead grasses are pulled loose.

The topsoil is loosened as well, so that the seeding machine can sow the grass seed properly in the soil for good germination. Often, several operations are combined in the front hitch. The addition of a levelling frame or chain harrow to the tine weeder is far from being an exception any longer.

An important preparation for overseeding grass is tine weeding

Drag hose manure application
Drag hose systems also gain popularity in the spring. Because many people use broad tyres with low tyre pressure, they can work on pastures earlier in a wet spring and the damage to the grass and the soil is limited.

The fact is that even broad tyres and low tyre pressure cannot match the contact surface of a track system, so that the grass and soil still suffer unnecessary damage. Independent research previously showed that tracks systems compact the soil less than extra flexible agricultural tyres. The use of track systems is therefore no longer unknown in drag hose manure application.

Double hose reel in front linkage during fertilisation
During drag hose manure application, we increasingly see single or double hose reels attached in the front linkage. The extra ‘heavy-duty’ lifting systems in the programme lend themselves extremely well for this, with lift capacities ranging from 5.0 to 6.0 tons, possibly with the addition of a push bar or side plates for extra reinforcement.