Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality started stone collection service in the field by saying "Let your yield be untouched by stones" in order for producers to obtain a quality and beautiful seed bed in their fields and to get more yield from the soil. 

Pioneer of innovations and many services, Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality, which has provided more than 300 million liras of support to producers, now collects the stones in the fields of citizens and enables producers to benefit more efficiently from the soil. Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Department of Rural Services has acquired a specially produced 'Stone Collecting Machine' to collect stones from the fields. Citizens calling the call center at 444 40 10 can make a request for the stone collecting machine. The stone collection team first explores the field, determines the day and time together with the producer and meticulously collects the stones in the field with the machine. The extracted stones are used by the field owner to build walls in rural neighborhoods or are transported upon request.

HOW DOES THE MACHINE WORK?

The stone collecting machine removes the stones from the soil at a certain depth, separates the soil from the stones with a sieve arrangement and ensures that the soil falls back to the ground, and thanks to an elevator, the stones are taken to the storage of the machine. It is a two-wheeled machine that is towed behind a tractor and provides hydraulic power from the tractor. 

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF COLLECTING STONES?

As a result of collecting the stones on the surface of the field, it makes it easier to cultivate the soil. It becomes even easier to till the soil with plows and other equipment. The ease of soil cultivation also means ease in preparing the seed bed for the farmer. Obtaining a good quality and beautiful seed bed positively affects the yield. Thus, the entire field can be sown evenly. This automatically and visibly affects yields. On the other hand, the removal of stones from the soil has another economic benefit for the farmer. Stones, which cause wear and tear on soil and crop cultivation equipment such as seeder, plow, etc., reduce maintenance and repair costs when they are removed from the land.