Hi Matt,

You really described the situation well. Where we have worked ground (including the Pluribus strips) we generally don't run the planter row cleaners very aggressively and in some areas rocks of a certain size can lodge. This tends to be an issue in areas with a lot of loose rocks of a certain tennis to baseball size.

Yes, staggering the Curvetine and rubber with the rubber to the rear along with adding the little metal dams from Shoup do help for rocks also. I have had a large customer tell me that adding the dams about eliminated the problem. Staggering helps but especially on the JD planters the stagger is not very far, the two holes are fairly close together.

As you also noticed this tends to be not an issue in no till ground.  

Conclusion: stagger with the rubber tire to the rear and add the Shoup dams and that should almost eliminate catching rocks and sliding the closers.

When the rocks hit the dam they tend to lift the closing wheel tail piece bracket up and over the rock rather than lodging. 

I'm glad to hear you liked the way the Curvetine was working. They are very valuable in a year such as this with wet planting conditions in many places. How did the planting into the strips go, other than the rocks?

Jim at Dawn