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EC North Dakota | Exactly what you are accomplishing, only here we do it after planting. I use a Concord air seeder, tillage type on 10" spacing for a one trip over int he spring seeding program, which leaves lumps that can cause a lot of problems with dirt through the combine. I am also trying to breakup the corn root balls and mash the stalks into the ground so they do not go through the combine as well. Rocks are another consideration that the roller seems to take care of. Last year I think I only had one rock get in the rock trap and years without rolling in was common to find them in rock trap every couple hours.
Here we are fighting just to get crop in, wet conditions, and it is a time issue with planting, we need to loosen the ground to get a seed bed, not firm prior to planting. By rolling after planting it is the last trip over the field, except for spraying, until harvest. You can set the cutter bar closer to the ground without having to worry about root balls sticking to the guards or rocks getting picked up by cutter bar. Some growers are claiming better emergence of the soybeans because of improved seed to soil contact, won't claim that but a neighbor who rented my last year thought he saw a difference where he rolled and where he did not.
They have become very popular here the last couple years, colleges don't know what to think and are starting to do massive studies. All I know from personal experience is that I do not want to harvest soybean again without having rolled them after planting.
Edited by JonND 6/3/2009 19:36
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Land roller on emerged soybeans????
