The PRIOS 440 Now With Chassis for Bed Potato Cultivation
A new version of the GRIMME PRIOS 440-cup planter for growing potatoes in (separated) beds is being introduced for the 2025 growing season. This cultivation method is currently part of the 4-row trailed planter’s portfolio, which was introduced two years after the PRIOS 440.
“The modular design familiar from the conventional PRIOS 440 planter can also be found in the bed version. Thanks to the new axle, a generous steering angle of +/-30° is now possible, which ensures maximum maneuverability on the headlands. Despite the recesses in the hopper required for the chassis, it still has a capacity of 4 tonnes. The ridge shaping unit for ‘hybrid ridges’ (which combines the advantages of ridge forming with cage rollers with those of shaping boards) known from the PRIOS 440 is also available in the bed version,” according to a recent press release.
Each of the two beds in the PRIOS 440 bed has a separate depth control for the furrow openers. Because of this, the machine can precisely put the tubers—even on uneven ground. For precise depth control, one skid is employed per bed to scan the beds. An ultrasonic sensor is also used to measure the tuber coverage behind the planting parts.
“To save money and resources, the fertilizer box, the barrel system, and the planting elements can be switched on/off separately from each other and for each row individually via Section Control (single-row switch on/off with so-called ‘Multiboom function’). This can significantly reduce nutrient inputs into the environment, especially when creating spraying tracks or planting on wedge-shaped fields. Unnecessary pulverization of the fertilizer in the fertilizer box is prevented by the row-specific shut-off of the metering auger and the agitator shaft,” the company’s representatives added.
To keep the soil in the bed in the best possible way, optional soil guiding plates can be fitted to the coulters, which are used for fertilizer application. A fill level sensor is also available for the fertilizer box. The early warning prevents parts of the field / of the tubers from being unintentionally left unfertilized.
