ROPA Gecko
Planter for pre-sprouted potatoes - an advantage when cultivating early potatoes
In cooperation with farmsupport, ROPA has created a planter for pre-sprouted potatoes. Gecko, the new hand planter from ROPA, combines gentle planting of pre-sprouted potatoes without breaking the sprouts with high effectiveness and good working conditions for the personnel.
Two operators work on each planting row. They put the sprouted potatoes lengthwise on the gentle and protective belts, which convey potatoes without any further stress and grinding contact until the tubers are deposited precisely in the soil. This technology allows optimal planting of potatoes with up to 12 cm length at a driving speed of 3.5 km/h. The distance between plants can be variably adjusted in 16 stages.
Planting without breaking the sprouts
After two years of field trials and use on farms specialized in new potato cultivation, we can confirm that the desired advantages in yield and vegetation have been achieved. The ROPA Gecko can be ordered for the 2024 planting season and will be displayed at the Agritechnica 2023.
User-friendly technology, precise depositing and efficient organization of boxes
The ROPA Gecko provides space for 5 pallets for efficient logistics of the planting material. Moreover, ROPA also offers other options such as a protective roof, drawbar steering, tramline deactivation and more for even greater convenience.
Loading space
The four-row planter can be loaded with up to 4 full pallets on which the pre-sprouted potatoes are stored in boxes and has some additional storage space for the empty boxes
Box circulation
An operator loads the conveyor belts with full boxes of potatoes and ensures that the boxes are returned emptied
Planting
8 operators take the pre-sprouted tubers from boxes on the conveyor belt and put them into the planting belts
Planting belts
The mechanically driven planting belts lay the potatoes in 4 rows with a row distance of 75 cm.
Planting distance
The planting distance can be adjusted easily and quickly in 16 stages from 20 cm to 50 cm.
Technology and features at a glance:
• Planting capacity: > 6 ha per an 8-hour working day
• Planting speed: 3.5 km/h
• Drawbar steering
• Mechanical drive
• Tramline deactivation
• Protective roof with lighting
• 5 spaces for pallets, 1 of which for empty boxes
• 4 rows with 75 cm row distance
• Planting distance adjustable in 16 stages
• Conveyor for boxes with box return function - easy loading and unloading
New potatoes planted with ROPA Gecko hand planting machine
This technology ensures the best possible protection of the pre-sprouted potatoes and allows to achieve daily yields of about 6 ha. The combination of the gentle treatment of the pre-sprouted potatoes and the precisely adjustable planting distance ensures optimal planting of the potatoes as well as fast and uniform coverage of the field and homogeneous sorting of the crop.
For road transportation, the hand planter can be folded up to a road width of 3.0 m.
Optional equipment
Options such as a protective roof, lighting, a hand washing tank, and a storage compartment offer the planting personnel the best comfort even under rough weather conditions. Optional drawbar steering or tramline deactivation simplifies the driver's work.
Impressions
