The redesigned John Deere 2330 mulch finisher comes in widths up to 56.25 feet (17.12 m) and can operate at up to 16 km/h in the field.

Updated implements from John Deere

New field cultivator 
and mulch finisher get 
high-speed capability

In December, John Deere announced it was introducing two new high-speed tillage implements, model 2230 field cultivators, available in level-lift and floating hitch configurations, along with the model 2330 mulch finisher. 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 […] Read more

Danish firm Kongskilde offers its 9200 Series vertical tillage implement to North American farmers in working widths from 11 to 43 feet.

Less common tillage implements

A look at implements from brands that aren’t exactly household names in Canada

If you get a thrill out of attending as many farm shows as you can reasonably get to in a season, you’ve likely noticed a few uncommon equipment brands displaying their wares. At the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, in August, Mark Moore made a point of stopping by exhibits from a couple […] Read more


Stubble on a harvested oat field near Winnipeg. (Shannon VanRaes photo)

Carbon price worries farmers, fertilizer makers

Winnipeg/Toronto | Reuters — Canada’s plan to price carbon emissions may weaken the farm sector in one of the biggest grain-shipping countries, raising farmers’ costs and discouraging investment in fertilizer production, industry groups say. Ottawa this month promised a price on carbon emissions by 2018, and will let provinces choose a tax or cap-and-trade system. […] Read more

Tillage recruited to deal with moisture issues

Tillage recruited to deal with moisture issues

Farmers still want to be zero tillers, but high residue, excess moisture and weeds are putting tillage tools back in the field

Necessity is the mother of invention, but weather appears to be the mother of necessity, these days. That seems to fit as producers talk about the need for tillage in this October Farmer Panel. Zero-till and direct seeding are still foremost on producers’ minds when they look at overall cropping practices, but with several or […] Read more


Can tillage fit into a no-till system?

Can tillage fit into a no-till system?

Some zero-tillers are now looking to tillage to manage disease and weed issues

A large majority of farmers in Western Canada have adopted zero-till systems — with the exception of those in the Red River Valley who are dealing with heavy, wet clay soils where tillage is just a fact of life. Most farmers understand the many benefits of zero till, such as prevention of soil erosion, better […] Read more

On display during Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina, Bourgault’s 9500 Series floating-hitch chisel plows offer an updated design

Bourgault redesigns the 9400 chisel plow

New floating-hitch 9500 Series models can handle higher horsepower

We had the 9400 (chisel plow) for many years, and there’s been a resurgence in tillage and deep tillage,” says Rob Fagnou, marketing specialist at Bourgault. “So we went to the drawing board again and redesigned it from the ground up. ” The new 9500 Series models, which made their first public appearance at Canada’s […] Read more


The “third generation” Viking vertical tillage tool from Versatile will also be available under the company’s Farm King brand as the VT3000.

PHOTOS: Familiar brands, new tillage implements

John Deere, Case IH and Versatile all showed new equipment at the U.S. Farm Progress Show

With a renewed interest in tillage all across the prairies and the need to deal with higher levels of corn residue in fields across the U.S. Midwest, it’s no surprise there were some new tillage tool introductions at the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, in August. Here’s a look at what the familiar […] Read more

When paired with the Gigant carrier, Heliodor 9 models offer a maximum working width of about 52.5 feet.

PHOTOS: Updated compact discs from Lemken

The Heliodor 9 debuts along with an addition to the Rubin 12 Series

Surrounded by a group of English-speaking farm writers, Lukas Voss, a product specialist at Germany-based equipment manufacturer Lemken, walks around one of that brand’s Heliodor 9 compact discs in a farm field in Hungary in late June. The field demos were part of an international press event, held to show off Lemken’s 2016 equipment line. […] Read more


Is rotating your herbicides enough?

Is rotating your herbicides enough?

Integrated weed management can slow herbicide resistance, but rotation is just one piece

Integrated weed management (IWM) is not rotating herbicides or modes of action. IWM is combining one of more different weed management techniques, such as chemical, cultural, physical or biological weed control. Some IWM methods are easy to implement, such as making sure you select good, certified seed that will grow vigorously and out-compete weeds. Seeding […] Read more

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

Understanding soil compaction

Agronomy Management: How to manage each of the three main types of compaction in your fields

In the last issue of Grainews I wrote about the effects of compaction on soil. Now, I’ll discuss the specific types of soil compaction and the ways each type can be managed. 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 […] Read more