A CTF compatible Kuhn Prolander 12000 arrived on a large-scale farming business in Bedfordshire during harvest 2024 to increase cultivation speed and options for heavy soils. Farmers Guardian finds out how it performed.
Cultivation approaches at harvest can change in the blink of an eye, so having a variety of machines that can help growers adjust to different soil types and changing conditions can be the difference between establishing a crop or staring at a stubble field all winter.
This challenge was one that Bedfordshire growers Mentmore Park Farms knew only too well. The 3,200ha farm is run by the Gaymer family and is a mix of owned and contract farmed land across an 18-mile radius. The land ranges from heavy clay to chalky brash so the farm can’t run a one-size-fits-all method for soil preparation.
“We have to move the clay soil after harvest to alleviate any compaction and let it breathe,” says Alex Morris, who has been part of the team at Mentmore for eight years. “We’ve looked at direct drilling, as most people have, but it has significant challenges on some of the heavier soil types.”
The current selection of primary and secondary cultivators on the farm are primarily disc machines in various setups. A 7m Topdown, two 6m Simba SLDs and a 12m Vaderstad Carrier are all essential, but Alex says the team wanted something that could cover the ground quickly and create a tilth while using less diesel. Most importantly, it had to have a tine rather than a disc to work in deeper conditions that may not suit the Carrier.
Options
After narrowing the choice down to a few options, it was a visit to the Kuhn stand at Cereals that highlighted the advantages of the Prolander.
“We had a few stipulations of the new machine. It had to be 12m to run with our moderate CTF system and needed to be well built to deal with the stoney ground we cover. Following Cereals, Kuhn dealer Farols brought a 6m Prolander for us to try and we were impressed with the finish it left and could see it offering us what we needed in tandem with our current machines.
“It gave us the option to go straight in with a tine down to 150mm deep and leave a tilth ready for drilling in the right conditions. Conversely, it is more than capable as a secondary cultivator to rip through previously moved land at a shallower depth in front of the drill.”
The Kuhn Prolander 12000 12.2m duly arrived in August 2024 part way through harvest. It is pulled mainly by a Fendt 1162 MT and the combination has offered a significant fuel saving, using an average of 10l/ha of diesel across a two-day period, which is a significant saving to the farm’s other cultivators.
Upgrades
The Prolander has five rows of vibrating tines to offer complete soil mixing and a 680mm frame clearance if growers have large amounts of trash or cover crops to destroy. Although set on the Prolander, there were several modifications that Alex and the team wanted on their new model.
“Due to the variety of soil types and textures, we chose Kuhn’s DuraKarb 50/30mm carbide points to increase longevity and prevent the need to regularly change them. There are 79 tines, so changing these on a regular basis would incur considerable downtime in the season, let alone cost. We’ve been pleased with the wear on the tungsten options.”
Alex said the farm benefitted from the Prolander model upgrades in 2024, which included stronger, more robust, 90mm thick, tine arms. The overall build quality of the machine was also impressive, and the double U ringed packer has been a positive addition as the soil-on-soil contact helps to limit compaction and provides a drill ready finish.
A feature that has been taken from Kuhn’s grassland range of machines is Headland Lift Control (HLC). This headland management system protects the outer sections of wider machines from contacting the ground when out of work and turning by raising the wings higher than the central sections. Alex says this feature is excellent and is very noticeable due to the width.
Flexibility
Higher work rates compared with the farm’s current cultivators, lowering diesel use and leaving a drill ready finish have been some of the Prolander’s benefits since it arrived, but its versatility to work alongside the disc machines has also been remarked on.
“The Prolander has allowed us to cultivate as a primary machine but also as a secondary cultivator at a shallower depth and faster speed. In some cases, we are saving an additional pass as the drill can follow directly behind the Prolander and the crop is established quickly and efficiently.
“As weather windows become tighter, successfully growing crops on a variety of soils takes greater consideration, so, having more cultivation options that can save time and money, has offered us great benefits.”
Alex also says that the farm is considering adding a small seed hopper, metering unit and seed outlets to the Prolander to establish cover crops and Sustainable Farming Incentive schemes across the farm with maximum efficiency.
Spring work
Although the Prolander has been an ideal autumn tool, it is the spring work where Alex sees greater potential to take the workload from a Vaderstad NZ.
“The biggest issue with the NZ is a 4m transport width, which means we need to escort the machine everywhere. The Prolander is big, but the folding mechanism means it is under 3m wide and the 12.2m version still has good visibility to the rear. It will help us move between fields quickly and keep in front of the drill.”
With prices for new drills reaching £200k, Alex pointed out that the farm hasn’t ruled out using a front mounted seed hopper to turn the Prolander into a versatile tine drill. Although it would be unlikely to assume the role as the main drill, it could be a handy option in challenging years and prevent huge cropping changes due to the weather.
“Adding a front-mounted seed hopper could offer us large output from a tine drill without the capital investment required to buy a bespoke unit. The Prolander has provided the farm with viable options for seedbed preparation where we would’ve been stuck before,” concludes Alex.