Cultivation & Cultivators

History and Types of Cultivation

Since the gradual transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture some 8000 to 12,000 years ago, cultivation has been critical in human development, enabling us not just to survive, but also to thrive as a species.

Cultivation is multi-faceted; it ranges from readying soil for planting, loosening soil around extant plants to improve aeration and water penetration, removing invasive, nutrient-hogging weeds, and digging-in fertiliser in order to improve soil quality.

There are two main types of horticultural and agricultural cultivation - primary and secondary - with the former consisting of pre-planting ground preparation, and the latter revolving around maintaining optimal soil conditions in order to get the best crop yield.

Traditionally, cultivating and tilling had to be carried out either by hand, using the various types of manual hoe; or by implements, such as ploughs and harrows, pulled by oxen or horses. Clearly, hand tilling still has a role to play in small-scale, confined-area growing, but thankfully, when it comes to larger-scale operations, the days of draught animals – and the time, commitment and expense that goes into looking after them – are long gone, with tractor-towed tools and pedestrian machines now doing all the hard work.

Cultivation Tools from Tracmaster

At Tracmaster, we’ve got all aspects of cultivation and tillage covered, with our extensive range including two-wheeled rotavators, powered harrows, powered ploughs, and side-tine tillers.

Two Wheel Rotavators

Also known as rear-tine tillers, two-wheeled rotavators are essential bits of kit for smallholders and hobby farmers, offering the sort of powerful performance that’s essential for preparing compacted, virgin soils, which in turn makes them ideal for creating new plots and from-scratch lawns.

The three machines below are just a selection from our range. To see the complete range, click the button below.

BCS Rotavators

BCS 706 Rotavator

The easy-to-handle BCS 706 is the high-end Italian manufacturer’s smallest two-wheeled rotavator, and as such is aimed at less substantial areas where space is limited and manoeuvrability is key.

There’s a reverse gear, which will prove useful should the machine dig itself in a bit too deeply; and you’ll get hefty, agricultural-tread wheels, which maximise traction and minimise slip ratio.

Power comes from a 212cc Genkins OHV engine outputting an impressive 5.9hp.

BCS 706 Rotavator

BCS 740 Rotavator

A step-up in terms of power and performance, the mid-range BCS 740 is a professional-quality machine aimed at commercial horticulturalists needing a rotavator that will keep on performing in the face of continuous, heavy-duty use.

The BCS 740 can be paired with either of two engines: a 389cc/11.7hp Honda GX390 OHV petrol engine, which delivers its ample power smoothly and quietly; or a 435cc/10hp Yanmar diesel engine, which is characterised by its powerful low-end torque. Both engines are available with recoil or electric starters.

BCS 740 Rotavator

BCS 780HY Hydrostatic Rotavator

BCS’s flagship two-wheel rotavator, the BCS 780HY, eschews the manual transmissions found on the previously discussed machines in favour of a hydrostatic one – this means won’t have to manually shift gear, with ground-speed adjustment instead being infinitely variable, thereby giving you instant, intuitive control.

Controllability is further enhanced by BCS’s provision of a diff lock and independent wheel brakes. As with all BCS two-wheel rotavators, the BCS 780HY is compatible with multiple attachments, including a flail mower, rotary mower, scarifier, buck rake and power harrow. Engine options as the same as the BCS 740.

BCS 780HY Rotavator

Tillers

Compact and easily manageable, side-tine tillers are the most common domestic-use cultivation machines. They’re great for preparing and maintaining allotments, kitchen gardens and flowerbeds.

Suitable for both professional and intensive homeowner use, the CAMON C22 Tiller is equipped with 16 robust, hardened-steel tines, which, handily, are individually replaceable.

Powering the tines is a Honda engine; an industrial-grade motor boasting a class-leading displacement-to-power ratio, and complying with the world’s toughest environmental legislation. An overhead-valve design limits noise and vibration; a decompression valve means low-effort pull starts.

Also featured on the C22 is a three-stage height adjustable handlebar, which ensures it excels when it comes to ergonomics; and a front transport for simple shed-to-plot movement.

If you’d prefer not have to deal with a petrol engine, then check out the battery-powered version.

CAMON Tillers

Ploughs

Perhaps the most important implement in the history of growing, the plough is an ancient concept that’s been making farmers’ lives easier since the dawn of agriculture. Not just for furrow creation, ploughs can also be used for aeration, to relieve compaction, and to optimise nutrient absorption.

The most effective plough we supply which mounts to the BCS two-wheel tractors, is the Powered Rotary Plough attachment. Using rotary ploughshares – turning at a rapid 300rpm – this plough will dig into the soil and fling it to the right-hand side, leaving you, in a single pass, with a furrow ready for seeds or seedlings. This powerful implement is available as a single, or a swivel version.

Powered Rotary Ploughs

Harrows

A familiar sight behind tractors across the globe, the harrow is a vital part of farmers’ and horticulturalists’ cultivation armoury. They have a number of uses, from preparing seedbeds and improving soil structure, through to weed elimination and fertiliser incorporation.

For use with BCS two-wheel tractors, which are the platform for BCS’s two-wheel rotavators, the R2 Power Harrow attachment features a series of vertically spinning blades, which penetrate shallowly to avoid soil-structure damage, and to prevent weed roots being brought to the surface.

The R2 Power Harrow is fitted with a rear-mounted roller, which packs-down the freshly tilled earth slightly, creating perfect seed germination conditions for maximum yield. It also breaks-up any clods, producing a smooth, perfectly level bed (you can opt for cage, mesh or solid rollers). There is also the option of a seeder unit for the 75cm model.

Power Harrows

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Units 6-7 Winterpick Business Park, Hurstpierpoint Road, Wineham, West Sussex BN5 9BJ, UK

+44 (0)1444 247689

sales@tracmaster.co.uk

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