BEDNAR: Optimal Solution of the Season

Perhaps there has never been a season where all soil processing operations were carried out timely and under optimal conditions – temperature, moisture, amount and condition of plant residues, and so on. There are always factors complicating the lives of farmers. The problem can be solved by soil cultivation implements capable of working in a wide range of conditions. In this case, the farmer can be confident in the quality of field preparation regardless of the influence of weather, organizational, and other factors.

When it comes to efficiency and productivity, the first thing that comes to mind is the confidence in the result, and immediately the implements from the Czech manufacturer BEDNAR spring to mind. These machines are already widely used in both large and small agricultural enterprises in Ukraine. Over the years of operation, domestic farmers have gained enough experience to share it with their colleagues. Therefore, we talked to the owners of BEDNAR SWIFTER compactors and SWIFTERDISC disc harrows to find out about the features of these implements' operation in various conditions.

"Our soils require thorough preparation for sowing, so we have to pay considerable attention to this," Anatoliy Vasylovych says. "Currently, we only grow spring crops - wheat, buckwheat, soybeans, and corn. Therefore, we prepare the fields in spring. Previously, we used a pre-sowing cultivator made in Ukraine, but after one season of use, we realized that it couldn't provide the required quality. So, we used a 6-meter disc harrow SWIFTERDISC from the Czech manufacturer BEDNAR for these purposes. Of course, its main task was to harrow stubble after harvesting, but it also performed well in pre-sowing preparation.

The harrow works with a 235 hp CASE IH Puma tractor. During one shift, it manages to process no less than 40 hectares, and the annual workload is within 600 hectares. To date, the total workload is about 3000 hectares. The depth of cultivation varied - up to 12 cm depending on the conditions and tasks. For pre-sowing cultivation, we set a depth of 4-6 cm, which was sufficient for soil preparation. The harrow is quite economical - fuel consumption did not exceed 5-6 liters per hectare. However, the main feature and advantage of this implement are the quality of processing. Regardless of the condition of the soil and the amount of residue, we always obtained a perfectly leveled field, without clods, with optimal topsoil density. Last winter, the implement worked throughout January and December. Due to weather conditions, we couldn't prepare the soil in autumn, so we decided to partially cultivate the top layer to quickly perform plowing in spring and start sowing. The soil was frozen to a depth of 4 cm, and in such conditions, the implement worked excellently, processing 300 hectares. And even after that, the harrow did not require any repairs - we haven't replaced any bearings since the beginning of operation.

When it was time to update the pre-sowing cultivator, I immediately asked the management to buy BEDNAR SWIFTER SO. I've seen this cultivator's work on various farms in our and neighboring regions, and I've been dreaming of it for a long time. But considering the small amount of cultivated land, we can't quickly renew our machinery fleet. We had to wait, and last year Titan Machinery offered us an exhibition model at a good discount. We decided to take advantage of the opportunity and purchased the implement last year. The first season of operation already confirmed the excellent quality of field preparation for sowing. We work with it to a depth of 6-8 cm - depending on the crops we plan to sow. In humid conditions, and this spring there is an excess of moisture, the implement performed well: it worked without clogging and sticking.

I want to advise those who are going to buy this implement: you need to take all possible options right away because you will need them anyway, but you will have to wait for them for several months. Initially, we decided not to order the rear leveling bar, but we saw that it would be useful. Now we have ordered it, but most likely it will arrive in Ukraine after the completion of field preparation for sowing. So, we will work with it next season. This also applies to the hydraulic adjustments of individual units - when the fields are heterogeneous, the operator has to constantly stop to change the settings. It's inconvenient and takes too much time. Where the agronomist won't check, the operator can pass without changing the settings. It will affect the quality of processing, and the owner won't be able to prevent it. But when you can change the settings with a button from the tractor cab, the problem disappears."

"Our first experience with BEDNAR equipment was associated with the SWIFTERDISC disc harrow, and it was completely positive. When we needed a pre-sowing cultivator, among other options, we considered the SWIFTERSO 6000 F model from BEDNAR. We saw that the quality of processing, ease of operation, and equipment reliability were at a high level, so we decided to purchase this implement.

The SWIFTERSO 6000 F compactor works with a 200-horsepower tractor, which is enough for both simple and complex conditions. We manage to process no less than 40 hectares per day, and fuel consumption does not exceed 5-6 liters. During the season, we manage to process up to 1500 hectares with it. Considering the considerable workload, it can be said that the cultivator is reliable. The operators are also satisfied - the settings are simple here, some of them are changed from the tractor cab using hydraulics. Since we grow a wide range of crops (rapeseed, winter wheat, barley, peas, soybeans, corn), the cultivator works both in spring and autumn. However, despite the rather complex soil conditions - heavy light loamy chernozems prevail in the enterprise, the cultivator creates a quality agroenvironment for future sowing."

Under any conditions

BEDNAR SWIFTER pre-sowing compactors focus heavily on creating a maximally even field surface and quality soil structure. To achieve this, rollers and leveling bars work ahead and behind, breaking up clumps and leveling unevenness both before and after the working sections of the tines. The front leveling bar, CRUSHBAR, features smooth hydraulic adjustment of the tilt angle. Depending on working conditions, the operator from the cabin can adjust settings to ensure maximum work quality. The manufacturer offers various combinations of rollers and working elements to best suit actual working conditions. Three types of interchangeable working sections are available: with wide and narrow flat-cutting tines, as well as with chisel-like Gamma working elements. This versatility allows one cultivator to prepare soil across a wide range of conditions.

After harvest and before sowing

SWIFTERDISC disc harrow proves to be a truly versatile tool. If a chopping roller, TRASH CUTTER, is installed at the front of the unit, it can effectively process fields after harvesting sunflowers, rapeseed, and corn. Additionally, the unit performs confidently on heavily weeded areas or fields sown with cover crops. When the disc harrow is used for pre-sowing preparation, a leveling bar with hydraulic adjustment, CRUSHBAR, is installed at the front. The working section discs have a small diameter and rotate at high speed, achieving significant mixing and shredding effects. Behind, double-row rollers provide better stability of the unit at high speeds compared to single-row rollers. The centrally positioned transport axle contributes to even weight distribution of the harrow, enhancing safety during transportation and reducing turning radius at field ends. Additionally, the manufacturer offers the option of installing the ALFA DRILL seeding unit with a 400-liter hopper for small-seeded crops, which can be sown simultaneously with field processing.