To Harrow or Not Harrow

[Ache4Acres]

Sounds like some guys...most of the bigger farmers...harrow or high speed till in the farm most of their acres.

I was thinking of putting the heavy harrows across most acres in the next couple weeks. I think it would help to smooth the little hills and valleys from the drill and get the seedbed nice and smooth for next year.

I was talking to one neighbour and he says...waste of time and money. Why do many guys do it then???

[fjlip]

Shame not to use the iron/diesel?
Unless your weeds failed to germ, perhaps a harrow could cover seeds, but our fields are GREEN already. Post harvest spraying much more effective. Also if your chopper did not spread adequately or residue is heavy, dry conditions would break it up and spread somewhat.
I rather harrow in the spring when straw is rotten and dry. That also seals the cracks if dry topsoil. Breaks up lumps and levels better too.
We try to fall fert with a cult and spikes, so all is level and spread then.

[tweety]

Burning more diesel makes you more money. Harrow twice.

[farmaholic]

No need to harrow here on account of excess trash. I like to harrow canola stubble to get the volunteer canola to germinate but I want the post harvest gly to work first. I only have one quarter left to spray post harvest them the whole farm will have been done. Some of the early fields are at least beginning to look like fall, brown and golden instead of greened up like there's a crop growing on it. Sprayed early to prevent the stuff from setting seed and to conserve moisture and nutrients(that weren't used). It seemed way to early for me but it needed it and the sow thistle and canada thistle were sure healthy and a big target. Oh well, to each their own.

[crusher]

If your straw spread is excellent its a tough call.

[wakopa]

Gonna spray roundup then harrow in spring to do two jobs in one. Been over these fields for over 40 years ,

[Hopalong]

Past five or six years each have seen us with rutted and rough fields from seeding, spraying or harvest. If not for that, heavy harrowing is a tough call just for trash management. To each his own.

[hobbyfrmr]

The biggest farm here has seed hawks. They straight cut cereals very low like 3 inches, john Deere combines chop and spread so well you can see the stubble. They heavy harrow in the fall, spray something probably gly, then heavy harrow again in the spring. They have terrific clean crops.

[biglentil]

Canola council and other plot studies say fall harrowing is counter productive to yields. Spreads disease spores, knocks over the snow fence standing stubble, drys soil, buries weed seeds deep. Thats not saying there isnt a need in certain fields do to sprayer tracks, rough fields, or kocia patches. Its a great tool for farmers egos to run over every acre twice just not the bottom line.

[hobbyfrmr]

In the big business scheme of things l, It keeps employees working and on salary. Some men need the hours for pogey and other full time employees stay occupied until trucking grain through the winter.
The more I think about the large scale neighbours, they are the biggest employer for 3 communities. They own houses for employees pay property taxes to RMs and towns, heck, they can even buy ATVs , vehicles, snowmobiles if you want to work it off.

[furrowtickler]

They have to heavy harrow with seed Hawks - they basically have zero trash clearance . Two sides to every story .
It has been counter productive to do nothing in the fall in this area - it called spring frost unless you seed canola after the 25 th of May

[hobbyfrmr]

Agreed, and its working well for them.

[Ache4Acres]

Thanks all. I agree on the fall gly...especially this year..lots of green out there. Will try harrow a bit this fall or even some vertical tillage and use it as a bit of test for next year. The proof is in the pudding but sometimes test results are hard to determine because of the weather wildcard. What is good one year is bad the next.

[furrowtickler]

Tried the gates coulter harrow on pea stubble the other day . Conditions were damp ,70% humidity - I was pretty impressed. The counters cut the straw and can set the harrow pressure and tine angle from cab . Left a very nice job - no piles once set right at about 11.5 mph. It's a 60ft forewarn fold design - worked very well behind the tbt bourgault air tank . Thinking an air kit on er to put on dry fert and or granular herbicide if needed.
The counters can be in or out of the ground from the cab depending on the job you want to do.
Could be a very versatile set up - even more so than the case turbo till I have been using.
Plus I can get more ac/ hr done on less fuel
The turbo till is 42 feet and pulls harder at 8.5 mph the the gates at 11.5

[wakopa]

Gonna spray roundup then harrow in spring to do two jobs in one. Been over these fields for over 40 years ,