Introduction
Introduction
Henning Fischer and Martin Peine-Röhrse
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Gecko at the Kessler-Weiss Freiland Gemüsebau GbR vegetable farm in Schifferstadt
At the Kessler-Weiss Freiland Gemüsebau GbR vegetable farm in Schifferstadt (Rhineland-Palatinate), the ROPA Gecko ensures efficient planting of early potatoes, working precisely, quickly and gently on the sprouts!
Gecko at Michael Unger in Wallern
On Michael Unger's farm in Wallern in Burgenland, the ROPA Gecko is used to plant crops with a daily performance of 5.2 hectares.
Wind and rain pose no problem thanks to the weatherproof covers!
Gecko at Schumacher's in Bedburg
Our family-owned operation specializes in potato cultivation and runs a year-round direct marketing business. The early potato segment is particularly important to us, as we supply both direct customers and large-scale buyers. Our goal is to consistently offer our customers uniform, high-quality produce.
What we find especially impressive is the ability to plant potatoes without sprout damage. The weather protection canopy also creates a comfortable working environment.
The yield increase of +17% has been very convincing and clearly demonstrates the positive effects of the improved cultivation method. Operating the machine on slopes has also worked excellently and made the work significantly easier.
As a direct marketer, it is particularly important to us to supply our customers early and from the region — an advantage we can clearly leverage through the use of this technology.
Gecko at Imre Toth in Hungary
Our operation in southern Hungary specializes in chip potatoes and farms sandy soils. By using the Gecko system with sprout-protection belts, we are able to eliminate sprout damage during planting, which allows us to supply our customers two weeks earlier. The system also delivers significantly more uniform grading, resulting in higher yields and, consequently, higher prices.
The advantages of the Gecko optimize both our efficiency and our quality, making our operation future-ready.
Gecko at Sebastian Ernst's
Sebastian Ernst produces the first chip potatoes for the Scandinavian market. To be able to deliver the 18 hectares as early and as uniformly as possible, we consistently rely on easily warmed soils and the pre-sprouting system from Farmsupport. The goal is early and uniform grading that precisely meets the requirements of the chip factory.
Since optimizing our process with Farmsupport, we consistently achieve this goal. The avoidable sprout damage that occurs with conventional planting methods has been completely eliminated — that is our clear competitive advantage over other producers.
Through this standardization and professionalism, we have become an attractive partner for the Scandinavian factory, which values our approach as an important safeguard for the first deliveries.
Planting early and without sprout damage — we can fully endorse that. Our goal is to expand this area further in the future.
Gecko at Bauer Hauser in Straßfurt
A glimpse of the Gecko with rotary harrow at Bauer Hauser in Straßfurt, Saxony-Anhalt
Gecko at Michael Krammer's
Michael Krammer believes in modern technology and smart solutions when it comes to potato cultivation. His farm grows 50 hectares of potatoes, including some early potatoes, and his ROPA Gecko is essential for efficient planting!
The planting is carried out on the Krammer family farm in cooperation with the Perschy landscape conservation service.
Driver Martin Perschy emphasizes that employees particularly appreciate how comfortable the planting process has become: "Our employees find planting with the Gecko very enjoyable, as they are protected from the wind. There's a good reason why we have so many wind turbines here."
Thanks to consulting services and system by FarmSupport, Michael Krammer knows that his potatoes have the best possible conditions right from the start. But potatoes aren't the only thing on the crop plan – watermelons, winter onions and soybeans are also part of his farm's diversified crop rotation.
With the ROPA Gecko, farming businesses can focus on efficiency, comfort and top quality!
Gecko at Markus Paukowitsch and Manuel Schönfelder
"Our organic operation farms 150 hectares according to ecological guidelines. Our focus areas include the cultivation of organic carrots, organic potatoes, and organic onions, as well as contract harvesting.
Experience has taught us how important uniform crop stands are for yield and quality. To avoid sprout damage and ensure even field emergence, we used the Gecko for the first time this season — with excellent results: even the first batch showed uniform and healthy crop stands.
Initially, we had concerns about whether we could advance quickly enough with hand placement. However, with a daily planting capacity of 7 ha, the system pleasantly surprised us and won us over.
Conclusion:
The use of the Gecko has proven its worth. The combination of technology, support from farmsupport, and careful crop management ensures stable stands and efficient operation — a promising path for the years ahead."
Customer review by Mattias Wunderl from Witzelsdorf
It's great that the ROPA Gecko really allows you to plant without damaging the sprouts. We dug it up straight away and took a look. All sprouts remained undamaged. It's quite windy here, which makes spending a whole day in the field rather unpleasant. This great workplace is very pleasant for our employees. It's like being at a party, with great music while you work.
Gecko at the Anzböck organic farm in Austria
Biohof Anzböck is one of the most innovative organic farms in Austria.
Onions, early potatoes, late-season potatoes and sweet potatoes are all part of the product range. For two years now, the company has also had its own peeling facility to sustainably recycle waste products. The ROPA Gecko and the FarmSupport system used for pre-cultivation optimize planting without breaking sprouts and perfectly support the organic farm team of around 25 employees.
Gecko in operation by Matthias Eckhoff & Frank Ehlen
The Gecko has already proven itself for the second year in a row at Matthias Eckhoff & Frank Ehlen's farms.
Early, uniform crops are particularly important in order to be able to supply customers with seed and table potatoes in a consistent manner: "We have never had such evenly grown crops before. This makes early potato cultivation a pleasure."
The harvest is protected by our own frost protection sprinkler system.
Thanks to the weather protection cover, the machine can be used at any time and can therefore be easily shared between both farms. It is so convenient that even family members are happy to help out.
Gecko at Juhoo Simulan in Finland
Juhoo from Finland operates a state-of-the-art agricultural enterprise, farming approximately 320 hectares of potatoes, 250 hectares of barley and oats, and — in collaboration with partner operation JJ Vihannes — around 90 hectares of onions. The operation also includes a high-performance laying hen facility with approximately 80,000 birds, along with the associated pullet rearing unit.
Early potatoes are cultivated on approximately 70 ha, where the innovative ROPA Gecko technology is employed. By eliminating sprout damage, this technology enables earlier harvesting, the highest quality, and maximum yields — a clear competitive advantage in marketing.
Gecko at Jaakko Tammelin in Finland
At Jaakko Tammelin, the crops are planted neatly and uniformly. The satisfied customer confirms the machine's precise operation, which allows the tubers to develop roots quickly and evenly.
The result is vigorous crop stands, uniform field emergence, and optimal conditions for a successful season.
Agromacaj a.s. – Innovation and Quality from Slovakia
Agromacaj a.s. is a leading Slovak family-owned enterprise and one of the most significant producers of potatoes and onions in Europe. Farming over 12,000 hectares — including approximately 2,000 hectares of potatoes and 200 hectares of early potatoes — the operation consistently relies on the most advanced specialist machinery.
A central component of the planting technology is two ROPA Gecko planters, which enable particularly gentle planting without sprout damage, thereby creating the foundation for uniform field emergence and high yields. As an absolute professional in its segment, Agromacaj stands for efficiency, innovation, and uncompromising quality — values that distinguish the operation throughout Europe.
Professional Early Potato Planting with the ROPA Gecko at Gemüsebau Großhans
The 2025 planting season for early potatoes is coming up! The Gecko is a machine specially developed by ROPA to minimize sprout breakage when planting pre-sprouted potatoes. This innovative solution sets new standards in the cultivation of early potatoes and ensures optimum conditions for growth.
Last season, we intensively studied how the laying technique affects the growth of early potato crops. Particularly noteworthy is the significant growth advantage of the potatoes planted with the Gecko. The innovative technology ensures that the machine is particularly gentle to sprouts when laying seed potatoes, which results in a higher yield.
ROPA Gecko in action
On March 20, 2024, we visited the farm of the Großhans family in Reilingen. They specialize in the production and packaging of vegetables, especially carrots. The product range also includes scallions and onions, radishes, parsnips, early potatoes and cereals. With approx. 1,000 hectares of farmland, around a quarter of which is cultivated according to organic standards, the enterprise is one of the most important growers of vegetables in Germany.
Visit to Großhans Gemüsebau where innovations perfectly support traditions
In the high season, Großhans Gemüsebau employs up to 800 people, including 75 permanent employees. Around 50 Fendt, Valtra and John Deere tractors are used for the field work. The enterprise values quality and sustainability particularly highly. The in-house washing and packaging facility enables fresh and direct packaging after harvesting, which reduces transport distances and emissions. Optimized logistics with the company's own fleet also ensure efficient planning of routes and optimal loading of the transport vehicles.
The company considers both ecological and social sustainability to be a central guiding principle. Regional production reduces transport routes and creates transparency and reliability between growers, buyers and consumers. All of the products grown by the enterprise are traceable and subject to regular quality controls that guarantee fair working conditions and high standards in production and management.
The ROPA Gecko ensures precision and efficiency in planting early potatoes
One of the biggest challenges when planting early potatoes is to prevent the sensitive sprouts from being damaged. The ROPA Gecko offers a customized solution unlike the conventional planting technologies that have their limits. The hand planter developed by ROPA in collaboration with Farmsupport combines a particularly gentle laying system with high performance and ergonomic working conditions for the staff.
Two workers per planting row carefully lay the pre-sprouted potatoes lengthways on special sprout-protective belts. In this way, the tubers are laid precisely in the soil without any rubbing contact. This technology allows planting of potatoes even with a length of up to 12 cm without any problems. The planting distance can be variably adjusted in 16 stages, and the planting performance can reach up to six hectares per eight-hour working day. Thanks to its drawbar steering, tramline control and proven mechanical drive, the Gecko offers high flexibility and efficiency.
Pre-sprouted early potatoes for higher yields
At Großhans, more than 80 hectares of early potatoes are planted. Before planting, the seed potatoes run through a special pre-sprouting program, which is crucial for later yield. Markus Unger of farmsupport explains: "The potatoes are stored in special pre-sprouting boxes in a maximum of two layers. Optimal ventilation, little shadowing and temperatures between four and ten degrees Celsius are essential here. To guarantee even lighting, we use 360° LED lamps."
farmsupport's pre-sprouting boxes
Seed potatoes during the pre-sprouting program
Pre-sprouted potatoes on planting day
Pre-sprouted early potatoes - planting with the Gecko
The operation's first early potatoes for 2024 were planted on February 14. Then the ridges are turned and covered with fleece and film. At the beginning of June, the Colomba tubers were ready for harvest. In comparison, Dennis Großhans and his partner Tanita planted some of the early potatoes with a customary planter.
The result on 3/20/2024
During our visit in mid-March, the difference was clear: The potatoes planted with the Gecko were already approx. 20 cm high, while those planted with the customary technique were half as high. Even at this point, a significant yield benefit with the Gecko could be predicted.
Conclusion – future-oriented potato planting with ROPA
The results speak for themselves: the ROPA Gecko offers a gentle, efficient and yield-increasing solution for early potato planting. Thanks to its precise planting technique, it spares the sensitive sprouts and ensures even stocks with a clear growth advantage.
The family-owned operation Gemüsebau Großhans combines tradition and state-of-the-art technology and shows impressively how sustainable and efficient agriculture works in practice. The ROPA Gecko is a big step toward future-oriented early potato production!
See for yourself in the coming season and follow the entire planting process and the vegetation development of the early potatoes until they are harvested.
Our ROPA representatives and sales partners will be happy to advise you. If you have additional questions about early potato planting, give our expert Markus Unger of farmsupport a call at +49 157 75067659.