A new cotton root cutter, designed by Gessner Industries, has proven capable of successfully cutting through heavy black soils.
Gessner operations manager Ray Finnie said root cutting cotton below the soil surface helped to prevent ratoon cotton in subsequent season and was an important part of post-harvest management of cotton.
"We have built hydraulic driven root cutters for over twenty years, but they are not always successful in heavy black soils, especially if there is a bit of moisture about," he said.
"So we have been working with a grower out near Jimbour Qld for a couple of years on a new design."
Mr Finnie said the new model worked by using tynes and cutting knives rather than rotating discs, making it more effective on heavy soil.
"It also helps with volunteer cotton, cotton isn't always in one straight line so the disc can quite often miss those, whereas the tynes can cover a broader area," he said.
Mr Finnie said the system, designed predominately for dryland cotton, was set up on 60 inch spacing.
"Dryland cotton is quite often grown on wider spacings to better use moisture, so these machines can be configured to whatever the growers are doing," he said.
"We also have a crumble roller on the back of it to help flatten down the worked ground."
Mr Finnie said while conditions had not been conducive to large dryland cotton crops for a couple of years, the market would return with rain.
"We have to have a product ready for when it does and to suit their operations," he said.
Mr Finnie said the new cutter had been put through its paces over last year and was now ready for commercial use by the grower.
"We have did a lot of trials on it last year and bought it back and made a few tweaks and adjustments and refurbished it all for him to go out root cutting again in the next couple of weeks," he said.