Mechanical removal of weeds has become an indispensable part of tree nurseries, especially now that chemical herbicides are under strong pressure. Van Tuijl Innovations responded to this a few years ago with the development of the WEEDELETE®, a unique rotary hoeing machine. Shallow tillage is a key feature of this machine, which now has many enthusiastic users.
Van Tuijl Innovations (VTI) started developing the WEEDELETE® in 2020. With this, the company is responding to increasingly stringent laws and regulations on the use of chemical agents. Growers are looking for alternatives, such as mechanical weed removal. Van Tuijl has now launched hoeing machines in more than 15 countries worldwide (Including Ireland). The WEEDELETE® has well thought-out technical, patented applications that ensure the machine is unique in its kind. The WEEDELETE® is a rotary hoeing machine, which ecologically removes weeds between trees and other crops by a shallow operation. This keeps the substrate firm in structure and preserves soil life, which is precisely what sets us apart from other hoeing machines,’ explains Martin van Tuijl.
WEEDELETE®, a robust and reliable tool
These thorough intra-row hoeing machines from Opheusden were developed in cooperation with tree nurseries. The unique rotary hoeing system enables the removal of both large and small weeds with exceptionally high control reliability. Moreover, it levels the soil at the same time. The WEEDELETE® takes obstacles and drip hoses into account and causes no damage to crops.
Van Tuijl: ‘The WEEDELETE® hoe is easily attached behind a tractor and works optimally at low engine power. It is soil-following and has a good working speed. The WEEDELETE® is a robust, reliable implement that does not use often fragile electronics.´
The method of damage-free hoeing between trees is achieved by the hydraulically controlled roller probes. These curved arms with a double row of smaller soft wheels attached ensure that the hoeing heads are guided tightly around the trees and then quickly return to the starting position. This system is suitable for trees in all life stages, from whips to full-grown trees. But also for shrubs, conifers, multi-stemmed trees, etc.
It is user-friendly and can be easily adjusted without tools. The same counts for the hoeing heads and adjusting the hoeing depth. For smaller distances between trees, you can also fit a hoeing rotor with a smaller diameter.
Specifications of the WEEDELETE®
- Required power: minimum 25 hp
- Minimum hydraulic output: 20 litres
- Easy to adjust hoeing depth and working width
- Easy to adjust ground pressure of the hoeing head, depending on soil type, sand, peat and clay soils
- Levelling effect of the soil
- Ecologically responsible
- The maximum driving speed is 5 km per hour
- The driving speed depends on the planting distance in the row
- Grant options
For more information see www.vti.nl
