How produce is harvested goes a long way towards its quality and with that in mind, German vegetable harvesting machinery manufacturer Grimme has released its new series of mounted WV vegetable windrowers.
The WV compact units feature a unique, spring-loaded bogie suspension system for fast, efficient and clean windrowing.
Grimme have made the windrower available in working widths of 1.4, 1.65 and 1.8 metres.
Landpower vegetable centre product specialist - Grimme, Haydon Martin, said windrowers are commonly used in a two-phase harvesting process on storable and robust onions.
"Crop quality starts with a gentle lift and intake of the crop," he said.
"The WV gently lifts onions, cleans them on two main webs and then places them in an even swath on a consolidated surface, so that the crop can dry before storage.
"Available as rubber or brush versions, the intake paddles are extremely flexible.
"They move upwards to reduce the pressure on the crop if crop flow increases.
"The intake paddles also prevent the crop from rolling back when the machine is lifted, which serves a practical purpose in maximising marketable crop yield."
The crop is then transferred to the main webs for cleaning.
The first and second webs can be equipped with either a mechanical or hydraulically-driven adjustable agitators.
The bogie system produces a level and firm ground surface to prevent onions from sinking back into the soil.
Each assembly consists of two support wheels and a bed roller, which maintains constant ground pressure without 'bulldozing' soil in front of the bed roller.
"This allows the onions to dry more evenly and helps to minimise the amount of soil taken into the machine during the second phase of the harvest process," Mr Martin said.
The crop is then gently placed on the soil surface via a PVC crop placement chute.
All models can be adapted to different harvesting conditions by means of various intake units and other options.
An optional buffer bunker prevents the loss of crop on the headland and thus provides more space for opening fields.
Grimme is one of the world's leading manufacturer of specialist potato, beet and vegetable machinery, including cultivation, planting, harvesting, handling and storage equipment.
Founded in Damme, Germany, in 1861, the family-owned company now employs more than 2700 people worldwide.
The company markets 150 different machines in 120 countries.
