What Is a Straw Chopper?
A Straw Chopper is an agricultural implement designed to finely shred residues of plants such as wheat stems, roots, weeds, and green manure left in the field.
Attached to a tractor, it features a cutter that first harvests and then draws in the material, finely crushing it with blades mounted inside the Straw Chopper. The distinctive feature is its operation driven by connecting the power source to a rotating shaft, driving the blades in a rotary motion.
The force for crushing varies with the power source, capable of even pulverizing tough stems and roots that may interfere with planting. The size of the shredding depends on the arrangement and rotation capacity of the blades.
While the shredded material is commonly discharged as is, some structures utilize spreaders to further break down the residues.
Uses of Straw Chopper
The Straw Chopper serves the purpose of finely shredding residues that would obstruct subsequent operations, ensuring smooth workflows. Stems and roots of wheat can impede efficiency during planting, and using the Straw Chopper to shred them facilitates obstacle-free rotary cultivation.
Shredding wheat stems and roots not only aids in efficient decomposition in the soil but also promotes the creation of habitats for organic matter within the soil. After shredding, applying decomposing bacteria at the right time helps create a soil environment that favors beneficial microorganisms. The by-products of bacterial excretion and deceased microorganisms also contribute to nutrient enrichment, enabling the development of soil with a preference for beneficial bacteria.
Characteristics of Straw Chopper
Certain crops cannot be continuously planted in the same field. To address this issue, the practice of planting green manure to balance fertilizer content has been adopted. Since it is challenging to directly cut and mulch tall green manure like sorghum with a tractor, the Straw Chopper is used.
Advantages
The Straw Chopper efficiently cuts and chops even tall green manure and weeds exceeding human height. Additionally, using the Straw Chopper to cut residues of cultivated crops streamlines post-harvest clean-up.
Disadvantages
In fields with many stones, using the Straw Chopper is not recommended as it can lead to malfunctions. Moreover, tractors with substantial horsepower are required for attachment, making it less accessible for easy deployment.
Blades, which are consumables, are also expensive, making the machine more suitable for large-scale farms.
Types of Straw Chopper
Due to its specialized nature, there are few manufacturers of Straw Choppers. There are various models available with working widths ranging from 200 cm to 320 cm, and the number of models depends on the working width.
As the working width increases, the required tractor horsepower also becomes larger. Even smaller models require at least 60 horsepower, while larger ones often exceed 100 horsepower.
Moreover, the number of blades used increases with the size, leading to higher maintenance costs. Although mostly imported, there are Straw Choppers available for combined attachment.
How to Choose a Straw Chopper
When selecting a Straw Chopper model, it is crucial to confirm compatibility with the horsepower of the tractor you own. While larger sizes offer better efficiency, they require tractors with more horsepower.
Considering the high cost, caution must be exercised to avoid overinvestment during the introduction of this equipment.
How to Use a Straw Chopper
The Straw Chopper is connected to the tractor’s universal joint and utilizes the tractor’s power for operation. By simply driving over the area to be cut, it cleanly shreds weeds and green manure.
Since it is designed to throw the shredded material backward, approaching the rear of the operating machine is dangerous. Additionally, when performing maintenance on the equipment, it is imperative to stop the tractor’s engine before proceeding.
Operating the machine during work carries a high risk of severe accidents due to entanglement and similar incidents.