©Jonathan Page

New plough sales looked down and out a few years back, but the unceasing blackgrass battle looks to have brought back an old favourite.

The resurgence has been enough to convince Amazone to wade into the market with its own plough – the Cayron.

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It is currently only available in five- and six-furrow form. But this was the obvious place for the Germans to start – those mid-sized ploughs account for almost 80% of the 1,000 unit/year UK market.

In joining the party pretty late, Amazone had the chance to suss out the competition.

It means the designers have come up with a few natty solutions to problems that plague ploughmen across the country.

There’s a new super-sized shin that spreads the wear point well into the mouldboard to cope with the high speeds of modern ploughing.

It costs more to replace than your average piece of shin metal, but if it saves thinning the boards beyond repair then it’s probably worth it.

A notched point also overlaps the wing, which stops baler twine or couch grass snagging and bunging things up.

There’s no getting away from the fact that the brawny Cayron is a serious lump.

It weighs more than 2,700kg and underbeam clearance is 83cm, so it towers over most other five-furrows on the market.

That means it takes a bit more lifting, but also makes it perfect for maize and other high-trash stubbles.

The 240hp-rated headstock is a chunky thing too, and unusually, the linkage balls are moulded to a 130mm spring-suspended pick-up shaft. It means there is less rattling and less risk of the link balls wearing the shaft.

Prices start at £24,905 for a five furrow, while the hydraulic vari-width version carries a £28,280 ticket price.