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| I farm in south central Kansas (wheat, grain sorghum, soybeans). From 1980 thru 1995, I used a 41', three section chisel for nearly all secondary tillage, right up to planting. I used 18 to 20' sweeps on 12" centers, and a single-gang mulch treader (AKA "chicken picker") behind it. I felt the pickers greatly improved weed kill, particularly on tap rooted weeds like Kochia and Pigweed. The pickers also leveled the field nicely.
The next step was a 42' Fallow Master, which I still regard as the finest tillage tool I have ever owned. It runs 26" sweeps on 20" centers, with pickers behind. The sweeps are low-lift, which allows shallower tillage depth. The Fallow Master frame is in six 7' sections, and is very flexible. This also lets you run the sweeps much shallower than the old 3 section chisel. Sunflower's Fallow King is an equivalent (some would say superior) machine, and between the two of them, they cut deeply into the undercutter market. I think Sunflower's pickers are a little more aggressive than Fallow Master's, so that might be a factor to consider. Deere's attempt to copy the Fallow Master concept (550 Mulch Master) wasn't even close, in my opinion (it cost ~twice as much and had 5+ times as many picker bearings).
More than once, I have used the Fallow Master as a primary tillage tool, because its relatively light draft would let me catch up with the weeds after wheat harvest. Soil moisture had to be good to do this, however.
I missed your location, but if you are east of central Kansas, I think you will probably want at least 6" of overlap between sweeps, to improve weed kill. Heavy residue will probably require a deep, 4 rank chisel frame with 29 or 32" tall standards.
I've never liked field cultivators, because:
1. There are ~3 times as many "weed escape routes" around the shovels, compared with the 26" sweeps. Sweep overlap on a field cultivator is pathetic, in comparison to your chisel concept or a Fallow Masster-type tool.
2. They cover more residue than the Fallow Master.
3. I'm not fond of running an impact wrench. Field cultivator shovels wear out faster than the hard faced 26" sweeps, and there are ~3 times as many of them to change.
4. Field cultivators (at least the ones I've been around) can't begin to match the trash clearance of a Fallow Master-type tool.
The field cultivator probably excels at chemical incorporation, but I see no other virtues in our neck of the woods.
We've gone no-till now, but I'll probably keep the fallow master until I become totally convinced that we can sustain it.
Mark Schrock | |
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Dumb question? But why not..........
