The Salford Group rolled out the latest model in its Halo tillage line at the National Farm Machinery Show last month at Louisville, Kentucky.
The company is touting its latest innovation — the Halo VRT — as the agricultural industry’s first tillage implement capable of varying tillage intensity on a forward folding, narrow transport frame.
Salford’s tillage product manager, Josh Kettle, says most other variable rate tillage (VRT) machines are existing tools that have been updated to have adjustable gangs. Salford, however, has engineered a totally new tillage frame for the Halo models, which are designed to maintain level operation at high speeds, with different ground engaging tools and adjustable angles.
“We have tested the Halo VRT in several of North America’s top corn-growing regions, and the adjustable gang angle excels at spring and fall tillage,” says Kettle. “The low blade angles perform seedbed preparation, residue management, and vertical tillage up to fourteen miles per hour. When more aggressive tillage is needed, the blade angle can be hydraulically adjusted up to 15 degrees, and you don’t even need to stop driving to make the change.”
“For years, producers have been using variable-rate practices in seeding and application to farm more profitably, but tillage equipment has lagged behind in adapting to field conditions,” says Brad Baker, Salford’s sales and marketing vice president. “Variable tillage tools like the Halo VRT are the future of tillage, allowing producers to choose the amount of tillage they need.
Sallford says the machine is capable of less intensive tillage that goes faster, uses fewer tractor hours and fuel, and will help protect soil structure and prevent erosion. But when a producer needs a more aggressive machine to fill ruts or manage resistant weeds, the Halo VRT can adjust to meet the challenge.
In this video, Salford territory sales manager Keith Belt takes RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin on a tour of the machine, including a look at its unique joystick control system.
Click here for more National Farm Machinery Show coverage.
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