Austrian manufacturer, Einböck offers a wide range of weeding/hoeing solutions via its Irish distributor, PJ Callan based in Ardee, Co Louth. PJ Callan demonstrated the Chopstar row hoe and Aerostar-Exact precision tine weeder.

Chopstar

The Chopstar row hoe offers manual hydraulic or automated camera-guided steering, with various hoeing tool attachments for weed control in different crops. As brassica crops were the focus during the demonstration, the machine was fitted with three tines for 45cm row spacing and a further two tines on each parallelogram creating a small hoeing belt between 8cm and 10cm.

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The Rollstar Element loosens soil and removes any weeds. This particular unit was fitted with a seat and steering system for further manual precision.

The Chopstar can be used in early and late crop growth stages.

Aerostar-Exact

The Aerostar-Exact is a precision tine weeder for vegetable and arable crops with adaptable depth control and tine adjustment. It is fitted with 600mm long tines 7mm in diameter and features hydraulic pressure adjustment.

The unit is suspended from a frame with two rear wheels for improved performance on hilly terrain.

Working widths range from 3m to 18m. Einböck says that the 7mm tine allows for sensitive blind weeding, removing weeds in their early development stages while not harming the crop/vegetable.