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Giant Mobile Chopper Disappears Straw
You've never seen anything l ke this giant chopper that pulverizes straw and other crop residue in the field, then puts it back on the ground where it's sprayed with a solution that helps break down residue and controls potential virus and pest problems.
The tractor-pulled mobile chopper is equipped with a hammer
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Giant Mobile Chopper Disappears Straw CROPS New Techniques 19-5-40 You've never seen anything l ke this giant chopper that pulverizes straw and other crop residue in the field, then puts it back on the ground where it's sprayed with a solution that helps break down residue and controls potential virus and pest problems.
The tractor-pulled mobile chopper is equipped with a hammermill powered by a 400 hp Cummins diesel engine. The ma-chine works a 12-ft. wide swath chopping down to about 2 to 3 in. off the ground. The machine creates a vacuum that sucks residue into the hammermill which is equipped with specially designed blades that whirl around at about 100 mph. The vacuum created by the chopper pumps the "biodegradable surfactant" out of a 600-gal. tank and sprays it onto bare ground. As the residue falls back to the ground, it's sprayed again.
"Farmers are skeptical until they see it work," says inventor Gordon McKee, a re-tired farmer and welder from Amity, Ore. "The pulverized straw forms a layer of fine residue that coats the ground through winter to protect new growth. In spring, it rots away. The machine can also be used on corn stalks and other residue provided the material being chopped is dry.
"The machine weighs 10 tons. I use a 170 hp tractor to pull it which is more power than I need. It's important that the hammermill always operates at peak capacity so it stays clean. My average speed is about 4 mph, depending on field conditions. The spray solution costs about $10 per acre to apply at an application rate of 1/2 gallon per acre."
Four hydraulic cylinders raise or lower the machine to put it at the proper cutting height. The cutting system and treatment solution pump are pto-driven.
McKee plans to sell the first 5 straw re-cycler machines he builds for $85,000, al-though he expects final production units to cost more.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gordon McKee, Keeway, Inc., 7120 Perrydale Road, Amity, Ore. 97101 (ph 503 835-3183 or 503 623-3051).
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