The TerraBlade inter-row hoe is a low-cost, mechanical method of controlling weeds in band-sown crops.
By keeping the unseeded rows clear of farm weeds during the early stages of crop growth, competition for nutrients, light, air and water is reduced and the young plants can grow away strong and healthy.
The manually steered TerraBlade works as a weed remover machine and has the potential to improve crop yields, drastically lower the potential for carry-over of weed seeds and reduce the risk of more resistant types developing.
Although designed for the Claydon Opti-Till® System, the inter-row hoe can be used in any band-sown crops.
TIMs® Eye
TIMs® Eye is an innovative camera-guided steering system available on the TerraBlade inter-row hoe. It is designed to dramatically improve the accuracy of mechanical weed control while minimising crop damage.
The new system combines RTK satellite guidance with advanced camera technology and ISOBUS Tractor Implement Management system (TIMs) steering to keep Claydon’s TerraBlade hoe precisely positioned between crop rows. It provides growers with a new way to improve mechanical weed control and protect crop yields.
TIMs® Eye is the culmination of ten years of development on the Claydon farm, progressing from manually steering the TerraBlade by eye through RTK guidance to the latest camera-controlled technology. While RTK accurately follows the original drilling path, it cannot always compensate for crop rows shifting due to drill drift or movement on sloping ground.
TIMs® Eye overcomes this challenge by using RTK to locate the correct drill bout before switching to camera guidance, which automatically steers the tractor to follow the actual crop rows. Unlike earlier systems that moved the implement sideways, TIMs® Eye steers the tractor itself, maintaining accurate alignment without conflicting steering corrections.
Precision weed control
The system uses digital cameras to identify crop rows and continuously adjusts the tractor’s steering through its ISOBUS TIMs® connection. A live camera feed allows the operator to monitor performance, while an auto learn function simplifies set-up. By accurately cultivating between established crop bands, the TerraBlade removes grassweeds and broadleaved weeds while minimising damage to the growing crop. In winter wheat, hoeing can continue up to growth stage 31/32 and other crops can be hoed any time they are robust enough to withstand a tractor passing over them, giving growers an extended opportunity for mechanical weed control.
Available on selected tractors
TIMs® Eye is available on approved tractors with TIM ISO steering unlock, as detailed on the AEF website.
Designed for straightforward installation and operation, TIMs® Eye represents a significant advance in Claydon’s precision weed-control technology, helping farmers reduce crop damage, improve weed management and protect yield potential.
FAQ’s
The TerraBlade reduces weed competition so there is more light, air, moisture and nutrients available for the growing crop. Taking out weeds means there is less weed seed to germinate and carry over into the next year’s crop, so reducing the overall weed burden.
The inter-row hoe performs best when the conditions are not wet and soft. The soil should be dry but not hard, and with a friable, textured topsoil. Typically a good time of year for hoeing is spring, up to the stage where the crop might by compromised by further passes, or in autumn, where early drilled crops may be sufficiently well developed.