Amazone started the TopCut development project back in 2021 to accommodate the increasing requirement for ultra-shallow soil tillage.

The challenge of the project was to develop a completely new tool for ultra-shallow soil tillage rather than adapt established design concepts to work at these minimal depths.

Ultra shallow methods are often seen as a preparation phase for the eventual seedbed and so aim to encourage germination of weed seeds and the degradation of crop residues.

The company took certain aspects into account when designing the new implement; the first of which was that organic material should be shredded to accelerate the rotting process and so clear the surface of trash.

The second was that adequate fine soil should be generated for optimum germination conditions for both weed seeds and the following crop.

Another was that working should be as shallow as possible with no burial of seeds and a reduction in evaporation losses.

Under dry conditions, it was considered essential that good consolidation occurs for optimum germination conditions.

Alongside the classic deployment after rape, catch crops, or sunflowers, where a combination of a double knife roller and a harrow or roller is used under optimum damp soil conditions, Amazone intended to develop tools that produce sufficient fine soil under dry conditions, and in cereal stubble, for optimum germination conditions.

The eventual TopCut implement consists of three subsequent tool segments that can be equipped with various different tools to suit the customer’s needs and requirements.

The toolbar may be a single knife roller, a crush-board, or a wavy disc. A double knife roller then operates in the main tool area to process the crop residue.

As an alternative, however, double wavy discs or a combination of wavy discs and knife rollers may be fitted.

Wavy, spading, and star discs were also trialled, for these cultivate the soil only to a minimum extent.

However, they produce fine soil for optimum germination conditions and so encourage the growth of weed seeds ready for destruction during the preparation of the final seedbed.

It has been reported that production models of the TopCut 12000-2T with a working speed of up to 20kph are now ready for sale and will be available from this spring onwards.