Vertical Tillage

[fjlip]

Border that's field horsetail. Real problem up here too, due to less tillage. Some chems suppress, nothing kills it, glyphos does zip.

[furrowtickler]

Well ado , what's a little faster ? Going from 5 mph to 12 ? Just saying it is realy not about vertical till it's residue management period . Wether it's drown out spots, sloughs, pea stb, or the type of seeding outfit, the spacing of the seeding outfit , how much crop residue and IMO the most important thing time management next spring.
For is it's it's about 5-6 of the above , and being able to cover 25-30% of our acres every fall fast and efficient with a perfect seed bed .
Just about every machine works in a different way, with different results - are they too much money - yup , but what is not anymore.
It is also not about maximum tillage across the entire farm and going all wacko - it's about managing some acres at a time and keeping a one pass efficient seeding at spring.
Oliver - I don't think it's going full circle , it just after wet years - ruts, sloughs , and heavy amounts of straw certain areas need attention - they do not fix them selves .
Bgmb is 100% correct about the tillage machines
Boarder - the glorified tandem disks do the best once over job for low spots and light slough grass areas , I would imagine the Kelly harrow does as well - s/f?

[furrowtickler]

We have used the Salford , case turbo , Lemkin , and the mandko twister . For what we are doing the case and Lemkin worked by far the best .
I will be leaning to a Lemkin next time .
I had to chuckle when a neighbour said he could do the same thing with his ole disk at faster speads . Well if you like do deal with severe ridging and lumps I said giver shit . Been there done that . Being able to work up to 4 in deep , cut trash and leave a smooth level packed seed bed at 12 mph is kinda the point with these machines.

[ado089]

With the high speed disk I like that it chops straw up pretty good. You won't get that with a cultivator. Has anyone used one of these units on flax residue? I'd really like to avoid baling or burning.

[sawfly]

are we not due for good old dried out sask?
after 4 wet years
i still worry about lack of moisture
more than too wet

[furrowtickler]

I think a dry year is overdue here as well, but would still work pulse stb and low areas all the same. Unless it is a complete drought. We have had too many springs with frost damage in canola not to blacken up soil a bit.

[cottonpicken]

Salford does not work as great on flax straw,tried doing my neighbours for him,if the ground is dry and hard,for get it,but im on shittier soil maybe better on good stuff,those machines are hard to predict what they will do,every situation is different.

Anyone try the deglman,would love to see it in action.

[furrowtickler]

Watched a Degleman and a Joker this fall , both can rip er up good but not as smooth of finish as a Lemkin or case. Wether that means anything I do not Know , I would have no idea till it came time to seed and see emergence.
I do know that on wheat stb if you are doing the whole field be carefull - it can end up causing more grief at seeding than doing nothing at all depending on air drill .
The Salford style seems to work the best in standing wheat then to seed in spring . The oyher high speed disk machines can rip out too much straw and cause plugging night mares with twin shank seeding outfits in wheat ( seed hawk, master)

[Hopperbin]

Thanks furrow that was my main thinking of not trying a machine that burries the straw. Burried straw means plowing through that straw with the seedmaster or whatever your seeding tool. So I am still harrowing double if have to and very shallow cult only in places. Straw belongs on surface in my opinion. Deep working means also soft soil in which the planting tool will also sink. In all one is trying to put the seeds in the best advantage when planting and weeds not so. And taking care of excess moisture. Few different methods being used here also.

[furrowtickler]

No prob, been watching these different types of machines for 7 years now, (tried first Salford in corn and pea stb in 2007).
We just heavy harrow wheat and canola stb as well, then go in and do low spots and sloughs if needed.
If you heavy harrow first then do a tillage pass it does make a better job come spring seeding.
Funny thing is we never did any fall work for 8 years(after drought) not even harrow after heavy wheat, never had a seeding problem with trash clearence.
Then the cooler springs(frosts) just about killed us along with uneven germ in canola - too much thatch build up. Wheat on canola stb was starting to show strips from the chaff rows and was uneaven at heading. Then wet summers and ruts came along and wetter springs which made seeding pea stb interesting and inefficient.
Most of you in Eastern Sask have been dealing with this for a lot longer and have a lot more experience than we do here out west. So we are no experts on this , just giving some insight into what we have seen.
Glad we are doing harrowing and tilling the last few years though - made a big diff in our crop and our efficiency at seeding. I am sure this same story can be told by many others all over the place(S/F and others).
The pea stubble worked last fall was 4 deg warmer this spring than untouched pea stubble - and it showed big time, same with guys who did wheat stubble.
A warm dry spring may be the reverse???

At any rate I think these tillage machines are here to stay and will be used in many different situations beyond just a V/T pass. You will see a resurgence of fertilizer, granular herbicide and other attachments on them to better utilize the cost/ac of ownership. Just a tough pill to swallow at $100 G .