Winkler, Manitoba Canada | thinkstoomuch - 3/28/2024 06:48
Heavy harrows seem to be a used on the Plains in small grains untilled stubble. They make some sense to me that they could fit a niche to use after a spring field cultivator pass as a light tillage to disrupt small weed seedling by uprooting or shallow burying. They appear to be fast, wide working width, reduced horsepower, reduced fuel per acre, keep a field level or provide some leveling, and be cheaper through lower maintenance versus field cultivator.
So would a heavy harrow make sense for use in this scenario?
I imagine in a tilled situation they would take less horsepower than out in the plains on dry, untilled fields. (Scraping a comb across wood board versus through sugar) They may scratch the tillage floor left by field cultivator sweeps. They may need to run "flatter" to allow residue flow and not "rake up" residue.
In my personal circumstance, I see it could have value on my organic acres for a 2nd and 3rd pass after a good field cultivator pass uproots any weeds or cover crop and this tool could come in 100-150 GDUs after that pass to flush out any small weeds, via its soil disturbance, cover any weeds not in a path of a tine, it's aggression could shake dirt out of rootballs, tip green residue around to expose to sun to dessicate, and use the same tillage tractor but cover 1.5x to 2.0x the width at 1-2x the speed.
Logical or impractical?
Heavy harrows vary quite a bit. There are also some medium weight harrows available. In your application I would want a harrow that has hydraulicly adjustable tine angle and down pressure. No reason for it to function as a dump rake, if adjusted properly for the conditions. Harrow would likely pull heavier in a tilled field as it would penetrate deeper. You want enough power to be able to harrow at 8 to 10 mph.
Degelman, Riteway, Summers, Brandt, Bourgault, Elmer's, Pillar are some of the brands that would be available in our area. |
Heavy Harrow applicability in Midwest for Secondary Tillage Use?
