The Wiking Rollavator has been designed to return fertility to the soil. The patented design allows the soil to be worked to the consistency required, while leaving the topsoil where it belongs. On top!
For centuries mankind worked in harmony with nature, using much gentler methods to till the soil. With the advent of modern machinery, tilling became far more aggressive, destroying the valuable topsoil by breaking it up and churning into the subsoil. This action dilutes the organic material and structure of the soil. In turn, this leads to increased crusting which reduces the soil’s capacity to absorb rain and hold moisture.
The process of deep tilling also destroys the critical microorganisms which live in the topsoil by burying them beneath the surface, as well as earthworms below the surface. These organisms help break down organic matter, releasing the nutrients contained within them, while also binding soil particles that help increase moisture retention and reduce soil erosion.
A controlled
study conducted by the
Department of Ecology and
Environmental Research, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, estimated that rotary cultivation killed 61- 68% of earthworms observed in leys of meadow fescue and lucerne.
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A further 12-19% of earthworms
were estimated to perish
during subsequent
ploughing.
WHAT MAKES THE ROLLAVATOR DIFFERENT?
The Wiking Rollavator has been specifically designed to cultivate the earth without inverting the topsoil. Prongs at the front of the machine help loosen the earth, which is then worked over by the specially configured tines positioned along the rollers. As the intersecting tines move against each other, the soil further loosened and broken up, without working the topsoil deeper into the ground.
This action provides the positive benefits of tilling to control weeds, helps soil ameliorants such as lime to be incorporated, and aerates the soil without bringing subsoil to the surface or harming the earthworms below.
The unique design of the Wiking Rollavator also prevents debris from building up on the rollers, reducing downtime and risk of injury.
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GROUND-DRIVEN
Unlike standard cultivating machines, the Wiking Rollavator is not PTO (power take off) driven. This has several advantages:
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fewer moving parts reducing wear and tear
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less expensive to run and maintain
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consistent results at any operating speed, reducing time in the field
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less power is required to drive the Rollavator, reducing fuel consumption and pollution
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can be operated without tractor*
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can be adapted to broadacre work using multiple gangs
*It is estimated
some 300-400 million oxen
are still used around the world in
agriculture today.
Because the Wiking Rollavator is
ground-driven it can be operated by
oxen, horses, even men if need be.
This makes it an accessible technology
for those in developing countries.
BENEFITS TO SOIL
A global meta-analysis reviewing 165 publications, which examined 40 countries on 5 continents across a 65 year timeframe, concluded that disturbing the soil less and not inverting the soil layers significantly increased the abundance of earthworms by 127% and biomass by 101% on average.
The action of the Wiking Rollavator breaks ups the soil without inverting the natural layers, preserving critical earthworm populations and improving the health of the soil.
As a result, heavy rains can more readily penetrate the finer textured topsoil where it is absorbed into the coarser textured subsoil deep down. Subsequently, water run-off is significantly reduced, minimising erosion. Additionally, because organic material is left at the surface, a natural barrier to evaporation is created to help prevent soil from drying out and cracking.
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