Versatile carrier “makes business sense”
15th September 2021
Versatility is the name of the game for Matt Solley of J S Crop Management, a joint venture between neighbouring arable farms in Kent, established to reduce overheads and make
Versatility is the name of the game for Matt Solley of J S Crop Management, a joint venture between neighbouring arable farms in Kent, established to reduce overheads and make the most of machinery.
The business employs the labour force and supplies machinery for both farms, as well as contract farming for other landowners.
With 2,000ha in hand and 850ha on contract, productive, reliable machinery is key, as is flexibility; while soils near the business’ Deal base are mainly free-draining brick earth over chalk, much of the contract farming is on heavier land. To meet their own needs and those of customers, they decided not to limit themselves to no-till.
Mr Solley explains: “We’ve got a Vaderstad TopDown and Carrier cultivators in the armoury to give us plenty of min-till options, or can go straight in with a Biodrill on the TopDown and establish oilseed rape; we’re also seeing a return to the plough in certain situations, so need to be able to work on ploughed land.”
The ability of the Vaderstad Carrier 925 disc cultivator to work at different depths really comes in here. Featuring conical discs to produce a fine tilth and mix residues evenly, it uses a strong frame to withstand high weight on the discs, improving penetration and maintaining working depth in tough conditions.
“We can use the Carrier as a shallow cultivator to give a quick chit in the autumn, or work deeper to pull down plough in the spring. The discs are really effective for shallow work in hot, dry conditions, and we’ve always got the option of the TopDown to put a tine through if needed. We can also use the Carrier in front of the drill – there are so many possibilities.”
The CrossBoard on the Carrier has been especially useful for Mr Solley this spring, when an unusually cold snap produced a ‘frost tilth’ which settled naturally. A pass with the disc cultivator was the ideal tool to freshen up ahead of a Vaderstad Rapid RDA drill.
“We had a RexiusTwin press but wanted to try Vaderstad’s latest designs and the Carrier gives a high output with its 9m working width, so productivity is that much greater.”
With some contract farms in a 30-mile radius, there’s plenty of road work, and the Carrier’s neat push back folding system and double axle means that it travels exceptionally well.
Mr Solley says the Carrier can be easily adapted, making it even more versatile. “The CrossCutter discs look like a really good option for working in residues or on plough, and would be a useful addition in some seasons.”
Working with a 440hp Fendt MT943 tracklayer, he says the Carrier rides very level and can be easily adjusted in varying conditions, making for a high-speed operation that covers some 10ha/hr.
“There are plenty of wide, fast shallow cultivators on the market but many of them are no good for anything else. The Vaderstad Carrier is a real all-rounder that works very well forus.”
