Jake, there are a lot of issues/questions here. I will comment only on the paraplow relative to the spring strip till discussions recently.

I think the paraplow is a different animal than the mole knife, ripper shank etc on many strip till rigs. If you decise to use the paraplow, run it at about a 30 degree angle to your intended planter rows and there should not be a problem with the open slot as in the strip till discussion.

However I really question the need for the paraplow at all. In a non-organic setting, I would say burn the stuff down chemically until it is really dead. Then go in with a planter with a cutting coulter, row cleaners up high just touching the sod, NOT moving sod, and Curvetine, cast iron or other spike type closing wheel. I hate to say it on this forum but one cast iron plus one Curvetine really works well no tilling into CRP sod. Ordinalrily I would not recommend that combination in corn/bean no till but in sod it works in most cases.

Now in your organic system I guess I would substitute flaming "burndown" for chemical burndown and just go in with a properly equipped planter - Our Dawn 1572 coulter combo with a ripple blade to cut sod, plus good vee openers, plus one cast + one Curvetine and I think you will get a very nice stand. I wouldn't worry about the paraplow this spring. It may cause more problems in mud than it solves, not to mention the high hp, slow speed and compaction caused. That is really a fall, dry soil de-compaction tool in my experience.

jmho.

Jim at Dawn