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The German cultivation and seeding specialist Lemken has bought the Dutch company Skeketee – part of its plan to promote mechanical weeding, given the pressure growing on the use of weedkillers.
Lemken managing director Anthony van der Ley comments, “the acceptance of chemical crop care agents is decreasing among farmers and the broader society”.
“There are also issues with resistance to currently available chemicals… besides the growing problem of ever-tightening regulation of product use.”
Skeketee, founded in 1936, is best known for its mechanical weed control gear, camera-assisted machine control, and its Rumpstad cultivation division that produces front-mounted, swing-over furrow presses and ploughs.
The proprietary camera technology allows operators to precisely remove weeds from between rows and plants, providing a good alternative to chemical spraying.
Lemken employs about 50 staff at its Stad aan’t Haringvliet base.
It will retain existing staff and expanding existing production facilities.
Scheduled for release later in the year at Germany’s Agritechnica Event, Lemken’s new Solitair PT is a power harrow/drill combination designed for farmers and contractors who want to work in a wide range of soil conditions, achieving a good seedbed combined with precise drilling in one pass.
Available as part of the Lemken portfolio, a leading name in advanced seeding technology, Equalizer, sees its CII 8/762N Planter arrive in the New Zealand marketplace via Lemken dealers.
Designed specifically for large farms that want to drill with maximum flexibility, efficiency and power, the new Lemken Solitair ST seed drill offers a useful entry into precision farming.
The new Lemken Solitair MR series mounted drills, available in three or four metre working widths, features a 1500-litre tank, which is suitable for fertiliser even in its basic configuration.
With ongoing ‘noise’ to reduce herbicides, many manufacturers have been introducing a wide range of options for mechanical weed control.
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