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The four-phase PRBM system is the key to achieving sustainable
and permanent Raised Bed farming by incorporating the fundamental
principles of "Controlled Traffic Farming" into the farming cycle.
This leads to: Optimum soil structure, minimal bed compaction,
optimal control of bed moisture, optimised water dispersal, optimal
run off and water harvesting control, minimised erosion and
therefore greater sustainability.
The PRBM concept was designed to help farmers use raised beds to
become more sustainable by not working their soils to a destroyed
state, and to be able to re-use their raised beds time after time
after time. There should be no reason to ever demolish the original
beds.
Through this method of farming, soil structure improves
dramatically, the residues from the previous crop remaining on the
beds to rot down to compost, becoming organic matter. Organic
matter makes the soil more friable, encourages earth worms, holds
valuable soil moisture and makes the soil less fragile to water and
wind erosion.
Made up of two designs (Horticultural & Broadacre), this
totally flexible and adaptable system has been designed to adapt to
almost any crop, soil type, scale of development and agronomic
method of farming.
Phase 1
Prepare the field by ripping and / or ploughing and lay out the
beds to optimise water run off and harvesting potential using the
SAM Lister bar.
Phase 2
Create the beds using the SAM Bedformer.
The bed forming and compaction mechanisms produce optimum
seedbed structure and density, controlled bed top and side
compaction creating an ideal environment for maximum germination,
faster plant growth and a more uniform crop with minimised
bed erosion. This however, is just the start of the
benefit of this system.
Phase 3
Mechanise Planting, Weeding, Harvesting and all other crop
management processes using the SAM Bedlocker.
The Bedlocker is the third phase of the PRBM system. It
floats behind the tractor locking the front toolbar skis onto the
bed sides ensuring exact positioning of any implement or tool
fitted to the Bedlocker guaranteeing extreme accuracy of
operation. The trailing skis ensure longitudinal alignment of
all operations and also re-compact the bed sides.
The Bedlocker is the carrying mechanism for all seeders,
sprayers, transplanters, weeders and harvesters. The extreme
accuracy of the system means that crops such as lettuce that
conventionally have been propagated from seed in a greenhouse and
then transplanted into the beds are now direct seeded into the beds
and achieves a germination rate better than traditional
methods.
Weed control is commonly a labour and/or chemical intensive and
expensive activity. The SAM Power
Weeder eliminates the majority of these costs and
concerns.
This means that crops that have either been precision sown or
precision transplanted can now be mechanically weeded within 30mm
of the plants with the added benefit that the weeder also lightly
cultivates the soil. This method mimics hand chipping and
gives excellent rash clearance. This component of the PRBM
system is suitable for 95% of soil types.
Phase 4
Renovate the beds ready for the next planting by using the
SAM Bed Renovator.
After harvest, the SAM bed renovator restores your perfectly
formed permanent beds ready for the next crop cycle. In one
pass it reproduces the perfect seedbed; burying rocks, trash and
organic matter as well as breaking up clods.
The machine combines a patented “non-panning” blade design with
a reverse tilling action, soil separation grate and bed levelling
blade to produce a perfect tilth.
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