The French manufacturer’s new 5640s have a redesigned frame that “optimizes” weight and strength, allowing them to perform better in wet field conditions. Hydraulic positive stop depth control is now standard. It allows the operator to adjust the depth of each section independently.

The 5640 cultivators keep Kuhn’s floating hitch design, which lifts the gauge wheels off the ground during road transport, eliminating castor wobble at road speeds. The frame now has a narrower transport width as well.

There is a choice of spring or K-Tine mounts fitted with either edge-on or flat shanks. There are six different configurations of levelling attachments, including a new anti-tangle, five-row spike tooth harrow and a new optional hydraulic reel lift. The company claims these levelling attachments can easily handle both heavy residue and wet conditions.

Kuhn has added two wider working widths at the top end of the 5640 line, 56- and 60-foot models. In all, the 5640 models are available in 20.5- to 60.5-foot working widths.

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Today, farmers have choices that go well beyond the traditional cultivator or tandem disc. Väderstad, for one, now offers two very different implements designed to meet very different tillage objectives.

The company considers its Carrier high-speed disc to be a multi-purpose tool, capable of a variety of tasks, such as seedbed preparation, residue incorporation and stubble cultivation. But even that implement can be configured to work better in specific field operations.

“The Carrier we have is the original European high-speed disc,” says Väderstad’s business development manager for North American tillage, Ben Sander. “We have a few options we offer with that. We have the regular Carrier, which has a smaller blade, about a 20-inch blade. We have the Carrier XL and then the XP, which has a few more options on it.

“A lot of times, depending on what your goal is — if you’re trying to turn a little more dirt, or chop up residue a bit more — that would help you select the blades you want. The traditional TruCut blade, made at our own factory over in Sweden, helps cut into the dirt more. You get more depth out of that.

“The CrossCutter disc came out a few years ago. It’s very wavy, almost like a coulter disc, but it has some dish to it. It’s for ultra-shallow tillage. It focuses on that top half inch to an inch of soil, cutting residue and throwing a little dirt with it and making a nice seedbed that way — so, a little more spring preparation versus fall tillage.”

READ MORE: Lemken Solitair DT blends tillage and seeding

The Carrier can also be equipped with a front row of harrow tines to help improve straw distribution, post-harvest — or it can be fitted with the CrossBoard heavy tines, designed to break up sod clumps and improve field levelling.

‘Residue management’

For more aggressive tillage applications, Väderstad offers its TopDown combination tool.

The Topdown is a double disc chisel, Sander explains. “You start up front with a disc blade — a smaller TruCut blade like what we use on the Carrier. You have two rows of disc gangs. That’s going to give you cutting and mixing. Then we have multiple rows of shanks. You can go down around 12 inches or so.

“If you have a compaction layer or you want to mix more thoroughly, It’s definitely a residue management tool.

“We finish off with a spiral leveller on the back instead of a traditional spring tine harrow. And then we finish it and reconsolidate the soil.”

With the addition of the BioDrill 360, the TopDown can be used as a drill to seed small-seeded cover crops.

The TopDown is available with working widths from three to seven metres (10-24 feet). Working widths on the Carrier depend on the specific model. The XL runs from four to seven metres (13 to 23 feet). The larger model is available in widths up to 12 metres (40 feet).

In 2021, Väderstad acquired the Wil-Rich line of equipment, and Sander says interest continues in the more traditional chisel plows it offers — even in areas that have mainly converted to no-till practices.

“On the Wil-Rich side we sell a number of chisel plows into the market. We’ve had some renewed interest in ripping, even in no-till Saskatchewan, trying to break up some compaction. It’s hard to alleviate the compaction you’ve built up over time with just straight no-till.

“You can get into problem areas with a ripper and try to lift and break that compaction layer. That will help with root development and water infiltrations.”

ALSO: Väderstad and Agco to study prescription tillage

In partnership with Agco tractor brand Valtra, Väderstad has embarked on a program to study the effects of its tillage implement, the TopDown, at a research farm in northern Denmark.

“The goals of the field study are to determine the optimal settings for the working zones of the cultivator to maximize crop yield,” Väderstad chief agronomist Nina Pettersson says.

“In addition, we aim to increase the understanding about the impact of different tillage depths and consolidation levels on crop emergence across varying soil types.”

The TopDown will work the field, set to a variety of different depths and adjustments across different soil types.

The test field will then be seeded with winter wheat. Väderstad and Agco agronomists will monitor the germination and early emergence, then evaluate the crop growth and soil compaction levels the following spring. Yield data will be gathered after harvesting the crop next year.

“By adjusting the tillage to the actual needs, we make sure to disturb the soil as little as possible,” Pettersson says. “This minimizes the possible negative impacts of tillage, such as carbon losses, moisture evaporation and erosion.”

The two brands expect to share the full results of the trial as soon as they become available next year.

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“It’s a 50-foot-wide Weed Clipper,” said Brent Fagnou, one of the engineers behind the Weed clipper, during the Regina Show. “It folds up like a cultivator would. What it allows a farmer to do, both organic and conventional, is drive it into the field and clip the weeds that grow above the crop. The main idea for the Weed Clipper is to control weeds without chemicals.”

The implement will cut at a very wide range of heights, from a few inches to as high as roughly four feet, which means it can make multiple effective passes through a field throughout the growing season as the crop matures. And it can also be used to deal with standing residue after using a stripper header on a combine.

“Farmers… may be able to take this into the field and break up stalks where they have used a stripper header on a combine,” added Fagnou. “They can go into the field in the fall or the spring and cut it down to a height that they can seed into again.

“The lowest (cutting) point is four inches, and it can raise back up to a 48-inch height. It has a floating hitch design and it can contour over land. The big thing is being able to maintain the cutting height over hilly terrain.”

To help minimize crop damage, the Weed Clipper can be equipped with crop dividers in front of the tires, which can lower the damage rate down to between four and six per cent depending on how heavy the crop stand is.

“What’s standard on the machine is what we call the physical crop height indicator,” Fagnou continued. “While the operator is in the tractor, they can look out and see it. This indicator will be level with the blades. When you see that you’ll be able to tell the difference between the crop height and the weed height. Then you change the cut height so you’re cutting the weeds as close to the crop height as possible. The optional camera system has a monitor in the cab, so the operator can monitor the height of the crop from the cab. It improves the efficiency of the operation.

“In a fairly heavy lentil crop infested with wild oats, you can cut at a 98 to 99 per cent job at five miles per hour with about a 200-horsepower tractor,” he said.

A fully optioned Weed Clipper will have a retail price between $230,000 and $240,000. For more information, go online to the company’s website.

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It can be configured to row spacing as narrow as 20 inches. And that, claims the brand, makes them suitable for use in crops not traditionally seeded with a planter, such as canola.

New cultivator points from Väderstad

Väderstad has introduced a new point for their tine cultivator that is designed to reduce soil clods and leave a finer field surface. The company says the BreakMix point allows for good soil and residue mixing near the surface; but its tip can also break up a hard pan at the same time, allowing for moisture movement through the soil profile.

“Thanks to its unique design, the BreakMix point combines the advantages of both mixing the topsoil and breaking a pan or compaction down to 11.8″ (30 cm),” says Magnus Samuelsson, concept developer at Väderstad. “Since the bacteria and fungi are most active in the topsoil, we want to mix residues in the top 4″ (10 cm) of soil for a faster decomposition. By not mixing in depth, BreakMix avoids pulling up clods to the surface. Breaking in depth further eliminates compactions and pans, while also enabling water transport two ways — both upwards and downwards”.

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University of Saskatchewan grad student Alex Alba led a study looking at three in-crop mechanical weed control methods, including:

1. Tine harrows;
2. Rotary hoe; and,
3. Inter-row tillage.

Alba used each weed control method alone, and in combination with the others. In an interview at Saskatoon’s CropSphere, Steve Shirtliffe, University of Saskatchewan researcher, said each one has its own niche.

“The rotary hoe works well controlling weeds when they’re very tiny — just emerging or just before emergence,” Shirtliffe said.

The harrows are used a bit later in the spring. “It can be a good weed control tool but it can also hurt the crop a lot.”

And finally, once farmers can see the crop rows, they can till between the rows. Shirtliffe added that farmers till between rows as narrow as 7.5 inches.

In the end, all of three methods “did a decent job of weed control,” said Shirtliffe. “We were getting at least a 50 per cent weed biomass reduction by using anything.”

Shirtliffe said that weather would be a big factor on farms. However, Alba’s study found that an early rotary hoeing followed by inter-row tillage later in the year consistently worked well, controlling upwards of 75 per cent of the weeds.

In another study, researchers looked at using the rotary hoe with Edge to control kochia. Edge is also known as ethalflurulin, and is a Group 3.

Shirtliffe cautioned that they only had one site year of data for that study. But that limited data did show that fall-applied Edge can work on kochia, as can the rotary hoe.

Researchers are now starting to extend that mechanical weed control work beyond pulses. They are also looking at how to control weed seeds as more of a remedial action. For example, researchers are looking at clipping the flowers and new pods of mustard and other weeds that top the lentil crop.

“And we’ve found that it can be quite effective in reducing weed seed production,” said Shirtliffe, adding that they only have one year of data so far.

Researchers are also using an implement that wipes herbicide onto tall weeds. So far, results have been mixed, and it’s too early to make recommendations to producers, Shirtliffe said.

However, some products don’t work at all, he said, because they hurt the crop. Others “seem to work okay, but we need more research on them to find out,” said Shirtliffe.

Managing kochia in saline land

At CropSphere in Saskatoon, Steve Shirtliffe, University of Saskatchewan researcher, talked about kochia nurseries — saline spots that grow kochia, and little else, every year. Typically farmers try to seed those unproductive areas, and then try to spray out the kochia.

But ultimately trying to farm that saline land this way is “very risky behaviour for the entire ag industry,” said Shirtliffe.

“You’re doing a breeding trial. You’re a kochia breeder. And you’re selecting for herbicide resistance.”

Shirtliffe said farmers should try something different, such as doing something “spatially to isolate those parts of the field and at least mow them down before they go to seed.”

Ultimately, Shirtliffe would like to see a farmer pull a saline area out of production. That might mean seeding it to grass in the long term, rather than seeding it and hoping it will produce a good crop every year.

“It’s not ever going to be a good crop.”

The post In-crop mechanical weed control appeared first on Grainews.

Three rows of high-clearance S-tines provide tillage up to six inches deep. There are three different tine styles on each of the models: the 10, 12 and 14. The model 10 uses 1¼-inch by ½-inch S-tines with 2¾-inch goosefoot shovels. The model 12 gets 1¾- x ½ -inch heavy-duty S-tines with four-inch sweeps for better penetration in heavier, unworked soils and rocky conditions. Heavy-duty, edge-bent tines are standard on the model 14.

Behind the tines, an adjustable levelling bar breaks up clods and levels the soil with a choice of spike or diagonal round teeth. A 12-inch diameter rolling basket then mixes and levels. Gauge wheels across the machine’s width maintain an even working depth.

Buyers can colour match their Perfecta to red or green tractors with a high-gloss powder coat.

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The 2230 field cultivators are designed to provide even and consistent soil mixing and residue flow for seedbed preparation, using six-inch “split-the-middle” shank spacing with 200 pounds of trip force.

• Deere introduces row crop guidance aids

Intended for relatively level terrain, the 2230 level-lift model is available in three-section and five-section configurations offering 15 different working widths, ranging from 23.5 feet to 60.5 feet. The floating hitch version is designed for producers who have to cope with hills. They are available in 14 different working widths from 25.5 feet to 69.5 feet. With higher working speeds, Deere claims these implements can now cover up to 217 more acres in a 10-hour day than previous models could.

“We’ve made some significant changes to our next generation of field cultivators and mulch finishers,” said Jarred Karnei, product marketing manager, in a press release. “From the frame and tires to more finishing options and advanced adjustability — all of these improvements are to ensure customers can get an ideal seedbed from a single, productive pass ahead of the planter.”

Both the level-lift and floating hitch models feature the brand’s ProFinish levelling system that offers six rear harrow options to fine tune the field finish. Hydraulically adjustable flat-bar or round-bar rolling baskets are also available, allowing the operator to raise, lower or float the baskets as field conditions change.

In addition, Deere’s TruSet control system is included on these implements, which gives the operator the ability to set depth and down pressure on the go. TruSet side-to-side also allows for individual section levelling on the 2230FH.

The 2330 Mulch Finisher was also given a redesign, and it’s now capable of working at 10 m.p.h. too. It’s available in nine widths from 21.75 feet to 56.25 feet.

New Gen 4 extended monitor from Deere

For producers who’d like to have a second display in their cab to control an implement, John Deere has introduced the new 10-inch Gen 4 extended monitor.

In its news release, Deere says the Gen 4 extended monitor can “monitor any number of machine, implement and precision ag functions such as planting or product application. In addition, operators can easily move pages and display functions from one display to another.”

The Gen 4 extended monitor is designed to work exclusively with Deere’s 4600 CommandCenter and will require certain Deere software to run. It is customizable and the company claims it’s easy to install. Having a second display in the cab will make more information available to the operator at the same time and allow for easier implement control, says Deere.

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“It (the Heliodor 9) has the smallest discs but widest working widths,” he says about where that implement fits into the brand’s tillage offerings. “We’ve had this machine on the market since the beginning of this year. The Heliodor 9 replaces the Heliodor 8.”

When paired with the Gigant trailing hitch system, the Heliodor 9 can be ordered with a maximum working width of 16 metres (about 52.5 feet). The Gigant carrier connects four independent, 4-metre Heliodor 9 implements together on two separate sections that can fold forward for road transport.

• VIDEO: eQuipTV: In the field with Lemken’s new tillage equipment
• VIDEO: eQuipTV: ‘Strategic tillage’ and Lemken’s Karat 12

The Heliodor 9s mount on the Gigant carrier via a three-point hitch linkage, and each hitch has a centre pivot to allow the Heliodors to follow ground contours independently. That enhances the system’s ability to easily follow irregular field surfaces.

“In the bigger systems, we call them the Gigant systems,” says Voss. “We start with eight metres and go to 16 metres. In the previous years, we stopped at 12 metres. Now we have one more machine. The reason for it is farmers asked for more hectares per hour.”

As part of the design update from the previous Heliodor 8 Series, the new 9 Series also gets 45 mm larger disc diameters, bumping them up to 510 mm.

“In the Heliodor 8 generation we had 465 mm discs, and now we have 510,” he continues. “So that means we can work a bit deeper. And also we have now a bit more bearing material.”

Discs on the Heliodor mount to the frame with an individual linkage rather than a gang arrangement, so each disc can ride over obstructions, like stones, independently, while the others remain at the proper operating depth.

“That’s something we have in all our compact discs,” Voss says. “Our objective is to have perfect ground penetration. So the machine will adapt to ground conditions.”

All discs in each row face the same direction. The first row moves soil to the left. Discs in the second row face the opposite direction and move the soil back to the right. That, according to the company, improves the Heliodor’s ability to crumble and mix clumps and organic material.

“The disc angle is 16.5 (degrees),” says Voss. “But they have a second angle, 10 degrees, to the ground. So they do not only cut the soil, they lift it up. They throw the soil a bit higher to get better mixing. That’s especially important in dry conditions.”

With independent disc connections, the Gigant System allows farmers to set the working depth of the discs directly behind the tractor tires a little deeper to compensate for the tire tracks. That ensures a level field surface behind the implement.

“In plowed ground you always have wheel marks from the tractor,” explains Voss. “That means you have to go deeper to eradicate those marks. But going deep means more pulling force and higher diesel consumption.”

“Now we can go deeper with only some discs. When a farmer orders a Heliodor, he can say what his (tractor) wheel track width is and we can let down those discs more than the others. That means we can go faster and we don’t need to move so much soil.”

“The idea for this Heliodor from the beginning was we wanted to have a machine you could use in different conditions. The main focus of this machine is shallow stubble cultivation. We use this implement also for seedbed preparation. It has the ability to level the field. When we have a lot of organic material we can use this machine for mixing it. With the high speed of the disc, we have a high mixing rate. That is why we can use this machine for a lot of different conditions. That’s why we have the Heliodor 9 in our product range.”

But for producers who want a more aggressive tillage implement, Lemken offers the Rubin 12 compact disc.

“Farmers wanted a machine that they can work deep in a field with a lot of organic material,” Voss says. “Farmers would use a cultivator in these fields, but with tines you have trouble with the organic material, because you don’t cut it. With the Rubin 12 we cut it and mix it in.”

With a disc diameter of 736 mm, the Rubin 12 can work as deep as 20 cm. And unlike the Heliodor, the Rubin 12 uses a symmetrical disc configuration.

“On the Heliodor 9 all discs in each row are arranged the same way,” says Voss. “Here, on the Rubin 12, we have a different arrangement of the discs. We have a symmetrical disc arrangement. The benefit is we now have no side forces. Because of the disc angles, machines normally want to go to one side. In this machine we don’t have that problem with side forces, because we a 100 per cent symmetrical disc arrangement.”

The Rubin 12 also has tine harrow teeth between the disc rows to help further break down clumps and mix organic material in with the soil. The Rubin 12 is available in working widths up to seven metres (23 feet).

“We have a higher mixing intensity and it can handle more organic material,” says Voss.

The post PHOTOS: Updated compact discs from Lemken appeared first on Grainews.

1. Surface soil crusting

This type of compaction is caused by a combination of soil tillage and raindrop impact.

Causes: Tillage can bury much of the protective residue cover on the soil surface and degrade the granular structure of surface soils. Falling rain will cause soil aggregates to break down into smaller particles that can become suspended in water, flow together and then dry into a hard surface soil crust. The crusted soil can restrict water infiltration into soil and restrict crop emergence.

Diagnosis: Crusted soils are relatively easy to diagnose by simply examining the soil surface to see if soil aggregates have broken down and a tough soil crust has formed. Visual examination of the soil crust will reveal a plate-like, horizontal layered structure. If a crust is observed after seeding and germinating seedlings cannot break through the surface crust, plant population can be greatly reduced.

Correction and prevention: A short-term solution after seeding is to lightly fracture the crust using a light harrowing or rolling with packers to aid seedling emergence.

The best way to prevent soil crusting in fields is to minimize tillage operations and ensure that a protective layer of residue remains on the soil surface to absorb water droplets before they strike and break down stable soil aggregates. This can be achieved by reduced tillage or direct seeding practices. Including a forage in the crop rotation can also aid in the long-term development of a good granular-structured soil that has greater resistance to breakdown and crusting.

2. Subsurface compaction, hardpan

Causes: A tillage-induced compaction layer is sometimes called “hardpan,” or “plow pan” and occurs in the layer of soil just below the depth of tillage. It occurs when soils are cultivated repeatedly at the same depth. The force of the tillage equipment, such as discs or cultivator shovels, can cause compression of the soil and smearing at the base of contact between the soil and tillage implement. Usually the compacted layer is one or two inches thick.

Compaction will increase when soil moisture conditions are wet at the time of tillage and/or if soils have a higher silt and clay content. In extreme cases, the compaction can be quite serious, affecting water and root penetration into the subsoil. However, with coarser textured soils, the hardpan tends to be weaker and more friable, and may have less effect on crop production.

Diagnosis: Hardpan can be detected by using a shovel or trowel to carefully shave away the tilled surface soil to the depth of the tillage layer, until the top of the hardpan is exposed. The hardpan can be examined visually to see if plant roots are growing horizontally along the surface of the hardpan, which is a good indicator that roots are having difficulty penetrating the hardpan.

Correction and prevention: It has generally been assumed that compacted soil layers break down naturally with annual freeze-thaw and wetting-drying cycles. When a hardpan soil layer persists, the soil may need some form of tillage to physically break up the hardpan.

When soils are relatively dry, use a heavy-duty cultivator with spikes to penetrate just below the hardpan to fracture and break it up. This should be done in the fall when soils are dry. Great care is needed to maintain residue on the soil surface to prevent soil erosion and not intermix subsoil with topsoil.

Tillage may reduce the hardpan compaction, but it may not address the sources of the problem. It may take three to five years of reduced tillage or direct seeding practices, freeze-thaw cycles and the use of a combination of taproot and fibrous-rooted crops to correct the hardpan problem. Deep ripping equipment should not be used.

To avoid the development of a tillage-induced hardpan, land should be direct seeded to minimize tillage. If soil must be tilled, ensure soils are not too moist, and vary the depth and direction of tillage. For land seeded to row or root crops, soils should not be worked when wet.

3. Wheel traffic-induced compaction

Causes: Heavy farm equipment, including tractors, grain carts, combines, trucks, high clearance sprayers and manure spreaders, can exert considerable weight onto the soil surface and into the subsoil. The effect of equipment weight can penetrate and cause compaction to a depth of about 24 inches when soils are very moist. As farm equipment continues to increase in size and weight, wheel traffic-induced compaction may become a more serious concern in the future.

Wheel traffic compaction has increased in the past several decades due to the increasing size of farms, farm equipment and the time needed to complete farm operations at seeding and harvest. With the increasing axle weight of equipment, care is needed when soils are quite moist to minimize the potential for wheel traffic compaction. In spring, when soil moisture conditions tend to be higher, the risk of soil compaction is often the greatest.

Diagnosis: Examining crops growing in a field can help diagnose wheel track compaction problems by the evidence of reduced crop growth in wheel track areas. A key diagnostic is seeing poor crop in line with wheel spacing of heavier equipment. Use a shovel to dig up plants in affected and unaffected areas. Carefully examine plant roots from healthy, areas versus those from problem areas to see if growth is being affected by compaction. Plants from compacted areas may have malformed or restricted root development. Roots from a compacted soil area may also be confined to the upper layer of soil with minimal penetration into the subsoil.

A soil penetrometer can be used as a diagnostic tool to measure the extent and depth of subsurface soil compaction. Normally, only researchers and agricultural consultants have this type of diagnostic equipment.

If compacted areas are detected, use a shovel to dig soil pits to examine the soil or to use a hydraulic soil coring unit to confirm the soil is compacted. A soil texture change or a dry soil layer can mimic compaction when using a penetrometer, but there may not necessarily be a compacted soil layer. It is critically important to use more than just a penetrometer to diagnose soil compaction.

Correction and prevention: Wheel traffic-induced compaction can be managed using good agronomic practices, deep tillage or both.

Where wheel traffic has created compaction to a depth of 12 to 24 inches, use deep tillage to fracture the compacted soil zone. Deep tillage implements have been developed to effectively loosen compacted soil layers. Avoid using subsoilers or deep rippers that cause considerable mixing of top soil and subsoil layers.

One type of implement that works successfully has shanks slanted at a 45-degree lateral angle. As the angled shanks slice through dry soil, the soil is lifted slightly, shifted to the side and dropped back into place. This lifting-shifting-dropping action fractures the dry soil to reduce the soil density. Some units have adjustable shatter-plates behind the shanks to increase or decrease the disturbance of the soil.

The soil profile must be dry to achieve the necessary fracturing to loosen and reduce the density of the soil. Ideally, implements must leave the soil surface relatively undisturbed, and leave topsoil and subsoil unmixed.

Mechanical deep tillage is only a short-term solution to soil compaction and is very expensive. It is costly to purchase or rent specialized deep tillage equipment, and the operating costs are also expensive; it’s important to diagnose this problem correctly. In the long term, farming practices may have to be modified to minimize wheel traffic compaction.

The following strategies can minimize wheel traffic-induced soil compaction:

• Minimize traffic in fields when subsoil is wet;
• Minimize axle loads by increasing the number of tires on implements for weight distribution;
• Use the lowest acceptable tire pressure;
• Tracks may give better weight distribution than tires, but minimize track slippage, which could cause increased surface soil problems;
• Use headlands for heavier equipment and traffic, including for loading and unloading, to limit compaction areas.

Adverse effects of deep tillage

Deep tillage can be beneficial under specific soil conditions, but use can also have serious negative effects on soil quality. Consider potential concerns:

• Some rippers cause greater mixing of surface soil with subsoil, which results in the deterioration of soil structure, reduction in soil organic matter, reduced soil fertility and increased potential for surface soil crusting. This can be worse than minor soil compaction problems.
• Loss of plant-available moisture can occur.
• Soluble salts in subsoil can be intermixed with surface soil, increasing salt levels and reducing crop yield potential.
• Subsoiling can make the ground surface rough and lumpy and can pull rocks to the surface.
• A subsoiled field may have a poor seedbed the following year due to an uneven and soft surface soil and reduced soil moisture conditions.
• If high or excessive amounts of moisture are received after subsoiling, the fractured soil can become a challenge to manage until dry.

Ideally, I usually suggest trying ripping test strips in a field to evaluate the benefits and risks over one or even two years before deep ripping an entire field.

The post Understanding soil compaction appeared first on Grainews.

Last fall, I broke 120-acres of pastureland with a Wishek disc. It was a rare opportunity. Land in my area, and probably yours, too, doesn’t come up for sale or rent very often. And when it does, it’s formidably expensive. Except this wasn’t. It was affordable, but with a catch: It had been pastureland for the past 20 or so years, and required breaking.

This is when my (deep) appreciation for machinery began. Specifically, my appreciation for how, in a world brimming with stuff, there is without a doubt a machine available to best do exactly what you need it to do in exactly the conditions you need to do it in.

The machine designed to do the best job of breaking pastureland was going to be a Wishek disc. It worked. I worked the land twice, and I wrote about it in a previous column. But that’s not the end of the story.

In late October, when the column I wrote on breaking that land was published, I received a series of texts from someone with experience converting pasture to cropland.

He had used such a disk before, for exactly that purpose, but said it wasn’t the best machine for the job, and that his back took a beating in the process. My back did, too. Tilling that field was arguably the roughest, bounciest thing I have ever done. Going over recently tilled pastureland a second time with a Wishek disc could be considered an extreme sport.

He recommended a Salford 4100 for breaking grassland, adding that because I used a Wishek I may need to roll and cultivate in spring before seeding. I put the field to bed rough, hoping that the big clumps of dirt would lose structure over winter and break-up easily with a field cultivator in spring. I’m still hoping this is the case.

I can’t verify his recommendation. And I certainly don’t want to say the Wishek was the wrong choice.

The finer points of machinery

The difference between a Salford 4100 and a Wishek may be obvious to you, but the fact that there is a vast difference between these two pieces of tillage equipment highlights how advancements in farming technology allow each farm to have an inventory of equipment designed to its unique needs.

With commodities still lagging in relation to soaring land prices and operations costs, finding efficiencies in machinery is not a moot point. Figure out what your farm needs, and find a way to try it out.

As many of you know, last growing season was my first with some skin in the game. I farmed and drew income from a modest 110 acres of rented land. It was a great way to gain some experience with budgets and basic decision-making.

I grew soybeans. They averaged about 40 bushels per acre, which, considered against the rest of the farm’s soys, was on the low end of average. We think they may have seen some hail damage. Still, I was happy. And I now have a bit of income for this year’s input costs, and perhaps some leftover to help with machinery expenses. So, I will fight my inner, child-in-a-candy-story impulse to buy things in the off-season, and instead stroke my beard and ponder the obvious expenses and prepare for the unexpected ones, too.

It’s tough to anticipate your farm’s next big purchase, and it’s even tougher to do so accurately. The vocation we’re all in is full of surprises. But it’s helpful to take stock of what you have, isolate the items you think will need replacing in the next few years, and start thinking about what you’re going to get when the time comes.

I have a list. I’ve started looking.

To do this takes unconventional thinking. It takes realizing that your machinery inventory may in fact be dated and full of inefficiencies, potentially stemming from a generation that didn’t have access to the diversity of affordable products we have available to us now.

It also takes realizing that making such moves doesn’t mean spending more money. You can still buy used. Your aim is a better fit, not necessarily newer or more expensive.

Perhaps there’s an implement that could replace both our field cultivator and our deep tiller for the cost of selling both. Perhaps investing in a roller would pay for itself with increased yields.

I scour the classifieds to find things that may be better suited for our farm, and to get an idea of what’s available and at what price.

Agriculture has become largely about precision, if I’m reading the signs correctly, and the minds focused on helping the industry do more for less money, in less time, using less fuel, seem to also be the minds behind the fascinating array of products available to farmers. All we have to do is pay attention. Think about it.

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