Machines

Harvester for high end textile hemp

Hemp grown for textile fibre applications is harvested when about 50% of the crop is flowering. In that stage secondary fibres start to occur and the lignin content increases rapidly. This complicates further processing and it has a negative effect on the fibre quality.

For the production of textile grade hemp starting from long fibres, it is important to process these in a similar way as is done with flax. Unlike flax, which in an adult stage reaches a height of around 1m, hemp can grow to more than 2m. Cretes was the first to develop a specific harvesting machine that cuts the hemp stalks at two heights and afterwards removes the leaves and heads of the plant. Doing so, it is possible to create parallel swaths of evenly spread stalks with a length of around 90cm (identical to flax). This concept of harvesting is patented by Cretes.

Harvesting and cutting to length in the field is achieved with the Cretes hemp harvester. The goal is to get the stalks parallel, cut to length, into the straw scutching machine. During harvesting the stalks are laid down in parallel rows (~swaths) on the field. For flax harvesting this commonly known technology. Hemp harvesting is more difficult, but for this, Cretes has developed a special harvesting machine to obtain a similar outcome.
The Cretes hemp harvester is a machine that is pulled by a tractor (min. 200HP required, power take off at 1000rpm) and that can harvest up to 1.5 hectares per hour depending on the shape of the field and the state of the crop. A maximum stem length of 2,5m and a maximum stem diameter of 8mm can be harvested. The harvester is equipped with a cutting device for the removal and evacuation of the heads of the stems.