Bed Formers for Vegetable Crops: which benefits can they bring?

In agriculture, each soil has different characteristics which make it adapt to different types of crop; such characteristics must be taken into consideration for an optimal work yield. For this purpose, have been invented machines and operations which can optimize the harvesting process and other phases, usually complicate and difficult in terms on time and costs.

Among the solutions which can adapt to different tasks, there are the bed formers for vegetable crops. These machines perform an ideal technique which improve the vegetables growth and, according to the different necessities of production, it’s also possible to adapt them to fit at their best the chosen crop. Let’s go get a deeper knowledge of the details and the special features which make the bed formers for vegetables so flexible and full of advantages.

What are bed formers for vegetable crops?

Bed formers are pulled machines which till the soil, maintaining its surface well refined and consequently making raised beds for vegetables. Each bed former performs a proper soil surface preparation, by convoying the lateral soil towards the center, forming a raised bed.

When the bed former makes its passage, the field is divided in two main parties:

• the bed, raised portion of soft soil where the vegetables will grow;
• the lateral tracks, useful for the natural downflow of the water.

Thanks to the bed formers, it will be possible to get perfect beds for seeding/transplanting.

Bed formers’ benefits for vegetables

The benefits which are brought to the vegetables are different. They create a comfy and safe place for crops’ growth, favoring the soil fertility and the harvest quantity, in a total respect for the environment. Let’s see in detail the main advantages of a well-realized bed.

1. Crop’s fertility

Raised bed technique favors water drainage: this means less risk of vegetables’ diseases. The raised beds in fact brings balance between water and oxygen in the soil, which is ideal for roots stimulated by highly advanced fertility conditions. Furthermore, vegetables get more solar rays and their roots grow in un-compacted soil, respecting its natural equilibrium. With the elimination of water stagnation, you get also another advantage. Avoiding the humidity in the soil, its temperature raises, favoring the burst of new growth. This passage contributes to reduce the formation of possible harmful organisms like for instance insects and parasites, which may affect vegetables’ health, ruining the major part of the harvest. The soil conformation done by the bed formers is a very important step, to be definitively taken into consideration in order to get profitable and healthy crop.

2. Savings and environment wellness

Bed formers can create the ideal environment for the development of vegetables with just one passage, saving time and reducing the number of operations to be done to the soil. Furthermore, raised beds allow to speed up the following harvesting phase, thanks to the raised and lighter soil surface.

The optimal drainage achieved with the tracks and the precision performed by the drip irrigation system, contribute to reduce useless water waste, increasing water saving.

Nowadays, especially in the last period, the attitude towards the environmental respect is more and more considered and well spread, so being able to limit the resources’ waste and making the daily right choices becomes crucial.

3. Richer harvest

The soil resulting after the passage of the bed formers is highly receptive, facilitating water feeding and limiting weeds growth, stimulating vegetables’ properties at maximum. The harvest will be then rich and healthy, obtained in a shorter time thanks to the efficacy of the machines.

Forigo bed formers

Since 1972 Forigo Roter Italia produces machinery for agriculture, horticulture and special crops. Its passion can be seen in the quality and innovations always present in its customers’ machines.

The continuous research for better performance, allowed Forigo to expand the range of solutions, studied also on the basis of final users’ inputs. Thanks to their collaboration in fact, the machines feature details and characteristics which makes them ideal for any circumstance.

Forigo bed formers present some benefits which increment the properties of these special agricultural machines. They are customizable according to the exigences of any crop and they can be equipped with different accessories, in order to increase the number of operations in just one pass. Let’s see them in detail.

1. TDC sensor

The experience gained during the years allowed Forigo to develop ad hoc technological solutions for their bed formers.

The TDC is a high-tech sensor which has to be placed behind the machines to maintain the height of the bed consistent for all the field surface. Thanks to this accessory the machine doesn’t suffer any slope in the field during the soil preparation process, maintaining the height of the beds homogeneous. This operation allows to the vegetables to grow all at the same, getting enough space for the roots and avoiding differences in their development.

2. Variety of accessories – more operations in one pass

Forigo offers a wide choice of accessories to be added to the basic equipment of the bed former. Here below some examples:

• rear rollers for soil levelling and compaction;
• drip irrigation systems which allow to unroll the pipes, placing them inside or over the bed;
• plastic-layers for mulching operations
• rear wheels for the regulation of the working depth;
• marking wheels for the creation of holes on the mulching films, to be able to plant the vegetables correctly.

All these accessories allow to perform more operations in just one pass, a unique advantage for the farmers since they can save time and money, avoiding the use of different other machines. This aspect brings benefits to the environment as well.

3. Customization

The making of tailor-made machines is one of the most important characteristics of Forigo.

Customization means a faster and more effective work, since the machine will be adapted to that precise type of crop. According to the vegetable, there will be the necessity of different beds’ height and surface.

Customization not only includes the choice of dimensions and number of beds to be realized but also the accessories to be integrated to the main equipment. The dimension of the bed former hoods affects the width of the beds and it can be adapted to that precise type of crop; on the other hand the accessories allow to increase the number of operations carried out at the same time as the bed forming process.

Conclusion

Bed formers are machineries which brings enormous facilities in the cultivation of different vegetables. They make the soil equilibrated and fertile, so the plants can grow healthy and stress-free on raised beds. The tracks created at the bed sides facilitate the water flow, avoiding water stagnation and diseases.

With a raised bed, the portion of soil where the plants grow is more exposed to solar rays, with a consequent increase of soil temperature, favoring its natural equilibrium and the burst of new growth.

The environment as well can get some benefits from the bed formers: water waste is reduced thanks to the possibility to place the pipes for drip irrigation and therefore, the possibility to use just one machine for more operations at the same time.

The final user then can save money and time.  

At Forigo is possible to find the most suitable solution according to one’s necessities: it’s possible to ask for a tailor-made bed former which can be equipped with specific accessories, allowing additional operations and easing out the overall working process.

If you would like to personally discover the advantages and the efficacy of Forigo’s bed formers, do not hesitate to contact us: our experts will be at your complete disposal to answer any of your questions.