With the introduction of isobus electronics, AVR says its two-row potato harvester is easier to set up and control, while updates to the haulm removal mechanism and the option of a cross-roller cleaning module add further versatility.

The £200,200 Spirit 9200i is a two-row offset bunker harvester that can operated unmanned or with up to six people working at a picking table, from where the machine’s cleaning modules can be adjusted using a handy keypad.

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The crop ends up in an 8t capacity bunker which can be emptied while stationary, with a fall arrestor to minimise bruising or a funnel for filling boxes, or on the move with the Clean & Go version that also provides some additional cleaning capacity.

Spec options

Up front, the Spirit can be equipped with one long digging web or two shorter ones, with an optional third section introducing another drop and extra soil/crop separation.

A pintle belt cleaning module is standard, now equipped with a retaining roller that can be powered away to clear blockages, and is fed from either a rubber-covered soft sieving web or the new option of a more aggressive roller cleaning module.

© AVR

This comprises spiral rollers with smooth steel rollers between them to remove reluctant soil from the tubers, plus a rubber-covered roller for snatching haulm from the crop flow.

In addition to having angle adjustment to vary the crop’s exposure to the rollers, the speed can be fine-tuned and rotation reversed.

AVR emphasises that the cleaning roller module slots in without creating a change of direction for the crop flow, and reckons the drop from one unit to another is 33% shallower than on the Spirit’s closest competitor.

Separators

The primary haulm separation system is a combination of sieving and haulm webs, with a set of two and then three “retainers” located above the haulm ensuring the vegetation and tubers are separated.

Another three rows can be added at the top of the machine, with the operator being able to lift all three sections to clear any significant accumulations of haulm.

A pair of two-row rotating combs are positioned beyond the pintle belt to take out errant stones and clods before the crop passes over the picking table and into the bunker.

To cope with especially challenging harvest conditions, the Spirit 9200i can be equipped with more powerful wheel drive than previously, comprising an additional hydraulic pump and wheel motors that provide up to 120hp of tractive effort.

Remote monitoring telematics is also available on this latest Spirit version, providing remote fault alarms and both machine and yield data for records and analysis, as well as remote diagnostic checks.