Technique for hilling potatoes with a walk-behind tractor

Every grower involved in growing potatoes, is interested in the crop yield being as large as possible, and the labor and time costs of obtaining it - less. Using a special technique helps to achieve the desired results. We will tell you about how to huddle potatoes with a walk-behind tractor in the article.

What is a walk-behind tractor

Himself the term "walk-behind tractor", if considered in general technical terms, means a single unit with built-in elements: clutch, transmission and engine. The device differs from a multicultivator in the presence of a transmission output for connecting additional equipment.

Reference.A walk-behind tractor is a self-propelled power transport unit based on a single-axle chassis, equipped with additional attachments for various agricultural operations. This versatile device is also called a mini tractor.

The equipment is equipped with two long handles for control... The engine starts with a cord, like an electric starter or a chainsaw, and the presence of a gearbox provides the ability to adjust the speed of movement.

Devices differ by the type of engine, which can be:

• diesel;
• electric;
• gasoline.

Motor-blocks with a gasoline engine are used most often.

The connection of active attachments is also different... There are walk-behind tractors with:

• power take-off shaft;
• additional pulley.

Another difference is in the location of the cutters:

• bottom;
• back.

With the help of a walk-behind tractor, depending on its power and the use of different types of attachments, you can:

• cultivate the land, performing almost all types of gardening work;
• transport cargo;
• mow lawns;
• remove snow.

One of the functions of the walk-behind tractor is hilling potatoes using a hinged hillerwhich raises the furrows to allow air to reach the plant's tubers. The unit greatly facilitates the process: when it passes in one direction, a furrow is laid, and when it returns, the depression is evenly covered with soil to a certain height.

To install a hiller on a walk-behind tractor:

1. The plow stand is inserted into a special lock and secured with 2 bolts.
2. Connect the hitch.
3. Attach the finished structure to the walk-behind tractor.

Why do they spud potatoes

Hilling — pouring earth on the lower parts of the plant - refers to mandatory proceduresused in the cultivation of potatoes, and is carried out in order to increase the yield of the crop.

Loosening the soil around the bushes is necessary to:

1. Increase resistance to frost and adverse weather conditions. In the spring, when the likelihood of late frosts remains, and tender sprouts have already appeared, it is useful to sprinkle them with soil to increase the planting depth and ensure resistance to hail, wind and rain.
2. Remove the crust on the surface of the soil. The loosened soil allows air to pass through well, which allows the roots of the plant to be saturated with oxygen, and also facilitates the access of moisture to the root system.
3. To increase the number of stolons - shoots on which tubers are formed. A layer of soil poured from above ensures the development of a more powerful root system, the establishment of new tubers on the side shoots, the activation of metabolism and the growth of green mass.
4. Prevent greening of tubers. Sprinkling earth on the bottom of the plant keeps the vegetables from developing a greenish tint. It occurs on tubers that sit shallowly and creep out to the surface. Such potatoes contain poisons and are not suitable for human consumption.
5. Get rid of weeds. This will protect the culture from oppression, damage to the presentation and, as a result, prolong the keeping quality of the product.
6. Simplify plant care and harvesting. As a result of regular hilling, the rows of potatoes stand out clearly, which makes it convenient to spray the crop and makes it easier to dig out the bushes after the tops have dried.

When

The first hilling is carried out when the sprouts reach 5-10 cm, the second - when the bushes rise by 20-30 cm. In the future, the procedure is repeated every 2 weeks until the beginning of flowering.

For early varieties of potatoes, a one-time hilling is sufficient... It is carried out before flowering, during the period of tuber formation.

Attention! In order for the potato to develop successfully, it must be hilled several times per season.

How to huddle correctly

Hilling rules:

1. The most favorable time for the procedure is after rain, when the soil is slightly damp. In the absence of precipitation, the soil is moistened artificially.
2. In hot weather, you should not huddle the plant, as this will lead to its wilting.
3. It is best to carry out the procedure in cloudy weather, as well as after sunset or early in the morning.
4. The rows should not be made very thin so that the bushes do not begin to dry out.
5. It is necessary to maintain the same distance between the rows so as not to injure the tubers.
6. At the first hilling, when there is still a danger of frost, the soil is poured as high as possible. This will not hinder the successful growth and development of the plant.
7. At high air temperatures, sprinkle the lower parts of the bush with soil only slightly, otherwise the growth of shoots will slow down.

Features of hilling with a walk-behind tractor

In order not to damage the tubers in the process of hilling potatoes using a walk-behind tractor, but to bring maximum benefit to the plants, you need to take into account the features of such processing:

• width between rows should be 65-70 cm - the unit will pass freely and work efficiently;
• to more accurately determine this value, it is necessary to measure the distance between the wheels of the apparatus and add another 10 cm to it;
• at the first hilling, it is important to set up the hiller correctly - so that the earthen ridge is low and narrow;
• it is useful to completely cover the bushes with soil - this stimulates their growth and protects them from insect damage;
• during subsequent hilling, adjust the device so that the ridge is higher and wider, and a soil pad of the optimal size - 20 cm - is formed around the bushes.

With a dense planting of crops, difficulties may arise. with the passage of technology and damage to tubers.

Benefits

Planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor with hiller has the following advantages:

1. The use of technology during the growing season allows you to huddle the plant in the shortest possible time and thereby save it from death.
2. The use of a hiller speeds up the process: the amount of work performed manually in a day can be done with the help of a unit in a few hours.
3. Getting deeper furrows than with manual processing prevents the bushes from falling to one side.
4. The complexity of the procedure is significantly reduced.
5. When hilling with a walk-behind tractor, the soil is minimally compacted, it turns out to be looser, which increases air exchange and contributes to the saturation of the roots with air and the intensive growth of tubers.
6. Loosening is accompanied by high-quality removal of weeds, which also has a positive effect on the yield.

Among the advantages of the walk-behind tractor, it should be noted its high maneuverability and low fuel consumption.

Types and technology of application of hillers

There are different types of devices used for hilling potatoes.... These can be discs or wedges, which are mounted on the walk-behind tractor with the help of special fasteners. The units have their own design features and differ from each other in the principles of operation.

Disk

The apparatus includes:

• 2 equidirectional discs;
• screw regulators;
• T-shaped leash.

Attached to the frame discs in the process of work lift the soil and rake it to the bush.

Important! To obtain the desired height of the soil ridges, set the appropriate furrow width and angle of inclination.

Disk hiller provides:

• evenly sprinkling the plant with soil on both sides;
• the formation of smooth high ridges;
• looser soil due to its crushing.

Unit easy to use and low energy consumption.

Before starting work, expose:

• the position of the disks relative to each other, determining the nature of the ridge by the expansion of the lower and narrowing of the upper part;
• distance between discs depending on the row spacing;
• the angle of inclination of the frame in relation to the horizontal plane.

The unit in the treated area is installed so that the furrow ran strictly between the disks of the cultivator, and the bushes remained intact.

Attention! Since the disc hiller only works on one center row, after turning, you need to walk 2 times one row at a time.

Plow-shaped

Apparatus of this type are single-row and double-row.

Single row

The design of a single row hiller is extremely simple - 2 wedge-positioned plates. It is easy to assemble, but there is no adjustment, and only one furrow is made in one pass. A device is used for processing light soil.

Work order:

1. Wheels with minimal outer edges are installed on the apparatus so that a small distance is required for its passage between the rows.
2. Set the amount of penetration.
3. They start hilling.

Double row

Unit has an improved design: it can be adjusted by adjusting the width and depth of processing, as well as simultaneously make furrows on 2 sides of the planting, which greatly simplifies the process.

First, set up the device:

1. Depending on the soil, the amount of deepening is selected and set, while the walk-behind tractor should be on a flat horizontal surface.
2. The angle of inclination is regulated by the position of the rack, tilting it forward with excessive depth and backward - with insufficient.

Double row plowing unit the central row spuds up entirely, and the side ones - half... When returning, it is guided through one row aisle so that the wheel passes between the rows only once.

Propeller

The crossbar of this device contains propellers with teethstanding in parallel. Such devices allow you to use the walk-behind tractor not only for hilling potatoes, but also when landing and harvesting.

For high-quality operation of the propeller walk-behind tractor, a universal hiller and a motion stabilizer (keel) made of sheet metal 4 mm thick are attached to the hitch.

In the process of work, an active propeller-type hiller:

• loosens the soil;
• removes weeds;
• scatters oxygenated soil on both sides.

Universal hiller on the hitch:

• acts as a brake;
• levels the beds.

The keel stabilizes the movement of the unit, ensuring it runs smoothly between the rows and makes it easier to operate the unit.

Lister

The design of the apparatus is simple, without regulation, with an initially set fixed width of 25-30 cm. Attached to thin tines, the plow has straight wedges and is lightweight on the walk-behind tractor when it is immersed in the ground. The use of concave wedges prevents strong turning and drying of the soil.

First, wheels and a hitch are installed on the walk-behind tractor, and then the hiller is attached... The unit is placed on a flat surface, and the tip of the device is lowered below ground level to a predetermined depth, which is set using a retractable leg located at the back of the device.

During operation, the device lifts the soil with a cutter. Its wide blades distribute soil from the center to the edges, forming a ridge. It is not recommended to treat too wet soil with a lister hiller in order to avoid adhesion of soil.

Reference. Lister hiller is used to process narrow row spacings on devices with a capacity of up to 3.5 liters. from.

Recommendations of experienced gardeners

Experienced summer residents advise:

1. Before starting work, carry out a test hilling in order to determine the optimal immersion depth, adjust the angle of inclination, and set the movement speed. As a result of the correct setting of all parameters, the unit will move along the set path without touching the potato bushes.
2. The first hilling should be done at low speeds. This will allow to loosen the soil in the aisles with high quality and notice errors in a timely manner.
3. When a light walk-behind tractor is slipping during the processing of too dense soil, weighting agents are used. It is recommended to install monolithic disc weights or prefabricated and filled with concrete hollow load carriers on the wheels.
4. Although the last, third, hilling can be skipped, it is still better to carry it out 2 weeks after the second, adding soil to the maximum height.

Conclusion

The use of a walk-behind tractor for hilling potatoes at a summer cottage or farm site greatly facilitates the work of a vegetable grower, speeds up and makes the process of higher quality. Choosing the right machine and following the recommendations for its use will ensure a bountiful harvest without loss.