Experience report - ROPA Keiler 2 at KWS Klostergut Wiebrechtshausen
Steffen Köhler talks about his experiences with the potato harvester ROPA Keiler 2 during the third harvest at the Klostergut of KWS in Wilbrechtshausen.
As a student of agricultural science, he worked as a trainee at the Klostergut and started working there full-time as a farmer after completing his studies.
In 2018, the ROPA Keiler 2 was purchased and put into operation. With its individually adjustable cleaning units thanks to the completely hydraulic drive, the Keiler 2 is especially gentle on the potatoes, which is particularly valued by this experimental farm.
You can get more impressions and see the fascinating Keiler 2 in the video.
The KWS Klostergut Wiebrechtshausen GmbH is a subsidiary of KWS SAAT SE and has operated the farm of the Klosterkammer Hannover as tenant since 2002. From the very beginning, the farm has been operated in accordance with organic farming standards. The aim of the farm is to produce organic seeds and vegetables. Many variety and performance tests are conducted on these fields, which have been cultivated organically for many years. In this way, researchers obtain precise results on the suitability of varieties and breeds under organic farming conditions. Furthermore, cultivation trials are carried out, focusing, for example, on fertilisation, biological crop protection and weed control.
The farm is approximately 368 hectares; table potatoes are grown on approximately 60 hectares.
Approximately 190 hectares of good farmland can be irrigated; for two crop rotations, with the focus on following crops:
1st year: clover grass
2nd year: potatoes
3rd year: carrots
4th year: sugar beets, bush beans, red beets, etc.
5th year: grain with clover grass underseeding
However, about half of the land is too steep, stony or clayey to grow root crops. Here, a combine crop rotation is used:
1st year: clover grass
2st year: clover grass
3rd year: wheat or hybrid rye propagation
4th year: triticale or barley
5th year: field beans
6th year: oats or summer barley with clover grass underseeding
An eye-catcher - Keiler 2 and John Deere 6175R with special design and tyres at the Olligs family in Rhineland
The Olligs family runs an arable farm with 250 ha in the Rhineland (Bedburg-Kirchherten). It is a family-run farm with a long tradition that is already in the hands of the third generation.
Potatoes have always been cultivated in Kirchherten thanks to the very fertile soil of the Jülicher Börde.
As a result of soil points between 80 and 95, a loess soil depth between 5 and 10 metres and rainfall between 750 - 900 mm, it is possible to grow not only high-quality potatoes, but also other crops thrive on the high-yield soil of the Jülicher Börde.
In addition to sugar beets, wheat and corn, the focus is on potatoes, with approx. 100 hectares of table potatoes. The early potatoes (as seen in the video) go directly to the Netherlands for further processing. Yields for early potatoes are between 35 t and 45 t per ha, and between 45 t and 55 t per ha during the main harvest period.
In 2018, both heads of the operation, Markus and Heinz-Georg Olligs, made their decision in favour of Keiler 2. The main reasons for this were the gentle harvesting and individually adjustable cleaning units thanks to the completely hydraulic drive - a great advantage, and not just for harvesting early potatoes. The potato harvest on the Olligs farm starts with the first early crops in May and continues until the late crops in early November.
The Keiler's cleaning settings can be adjusted easily from the tractor cabin as well as on the terminal of the sorting platform. Here the absolute focus is on the lifting quality, which is always confirmed by the customers. Regardless of the harvest conditions and speed, the machine can be adjusted to the optimum setting.
Eye-catching is the combination of the John Deere 6175R with black high-gloss rims and Michelin Evobib tyres in the 710/70 R42 size.
With the integrated PTG tyre pressure control system, the tyre pressure is increased to 2.0 bar when driving on roads, so that the contact area width is reduced to approximately 550 mm.
For field work, the tyre pressure is reduced to 0.8 bar depending on the requirements, so that the contact area width increases to over 780 mm.
Starting in 2018, Markus Olligs has been a partner to Michelin for practical tests and enhancement of the Evobib tyres.