Machine is designed for UK rows and offers a range of features
A new German-made three-bed folding haulm topper is being introduced to the UK in time for 2024’s potato harvest.
Grimme’s Toppa 600 is described as the first-ever folding haulm topper to be built in Germany with two, two-row toppers at the rear and a two-row topper at the front to span six rows in total.
Designed for the UK’s 90cm rows, the Toppa 600 offers hydraulic depth control, a floating frame so that the chassis follows the contours of the row, and a specially designed blade configuration which chops and blows the cut haulm into the bottom of the row, placing it well out of the way from the lifting process.
With the ability to lift the left or right arm for transportation and single-sided haulm topping, the Toppa 600 has a low power consumption, needing just a 140hp tractor, which is said to significantly reduce soil compaction.
Grimme is also offering optional automatic row-finding feeler arms that run in the rows, sensing its sides and moving the cutting blades left and right to keep them central, thereby eliminating scalping.
A pre-production model tested by J Haig Hamilton & Sons in East Lothian, Scotland, was displayed at British Potato 2023.
“Our UK range of haulm toppers have always been a popular choice and have performed exceptionally well, but by having our German factory oversee production, we are now better placed to take advantage of the incredible amount of research and development that is undertaken in Damme,” said Grimme UK’s potato specialist Ed Hodson.
“We have several pre-production Toppa 600s for order, and as this particular model offers several unique features. We expect them to sell quickly as growers seek the ideal combination of features, performance and price.
”Grimme has also taken into account the pressures currently faced by growers and is offering the Toppa 600 with interest-free payment options.”
The Toppa 600 will be joined by two other models later in the year - the Toppa 400 with four-row capability, and the eight-row Toppa 800.
