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Garner Iowa | ever tried an M&W earthmaster? They roll through standing cornstalks beautifully, work at a descent depth and leave a fairly level surface. (a simple buster bar in the back will help level the topsoil if you feel it needs a little more) We set ours at 24" spacings to decrease the ridging effect of a v-plow. Most of the work is done with the front disks, which have wide spacings for trash thoughput, the plow does not need to run deep, you can adjust the depth from 2-12 inches if you so desire. You will have to field cultivate once in the spring before planting. I realize the latest fad is the mcfarland reel disc and many other similiar product to eliminate the field cultivator. I have side by side yield data to show that the McFarland had zero to negative increase in yield, and if run in less than perfect soil conditions caused more compaction than running a disk in the spring. The system of the plow and the field cultivator has proved efffective for over a century, I discoved that the best methods are usually used the longest.
One thing about the older m&w plows, they were not built heavy enough, if you end up buying one, make the first stop the local welding shop, if there are any other m&w plows in your area, he will know where the weak points are. Very easyy to fix.
Remember the worst primary tillage in the fall is always better than the best primary tillage in the spring. It concerns me to think of what your soil compaction is like running over the same acre 5 times with a disk. | |
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What's best for working corn stalks?
