The Evolution of Tillage
I had a great day last week – I attended a tillage demo day hosted by a local farm equipment dealer.
The sun was shining and field conditions were perfect for tillage trials. We were in a field of wheat stubble with clay/loam soil. The array of new tractors and tillage toys lined up in the field acted as a farmer magnet and it wasn’t long before pickup trucks started to congregate. The coffee and donuts didn’t hurt either.
Like many crop producers, I had a challenging spring on the tillage front. Heavy, wet, cold soil presents problems for any tillage regime. I found I was not alone. Almost every farmer I talked to expressed some dissatisfaction with their tillage or non-tillage program for 2009.
The demo day featured everything from disc-rippers, to traditional discs, to a European disc with huge press wheels at the back, to vertical tillage tools that are primarily used to incorporate residue. Everyone is looking for different performance. Some farmers want to get away from aggressive tillage, but want a tool that lessens the risk of pure no-till. Others are saying that the new corn hybrids leave stalks and stubble that is increasingly slow to break down and difficult to work with using traditional tools.
One common theme was the emphasis on leveling. Almost every tool at the demo offered some sort of leveling harrow at the back of the machine. The farmers I talked to said that they can’t afford secondary tillage passes just to level the field profile at planting time, and it appears that equipment manufacturers are listening.
Vertical tillage is a term that covers a lot of different tools and practices, but it is no longer a curiosity. More and more producers are seeing upside to shallow, fast tillage that helps address heavy crop residue issues, helps dry out soil to expedite planting, and is much more time and fuel efficient than traditional tillage tools. Consider it a mid-way point between aggressive tillage and no-till. It’s gaining momentum.
The most refreshing thing about the demo was the open-minded approach that farmers have regarding tillage and new tools and ideas. There was a time when there were only two kinds of crop production: conventional tillage and no-till. Today, there is no such classification. All producers are looking to advance to the next step in the ever-evolving approach to tillage and soil management.
What is your approach? Will you do more or less tillage in 2010? Are you looking at new tools to replace the plow, disc or soil saver?
Peter Gredig
Farms.com Media
Peter.Gredig@Farms.com
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