Tillage Innovation Profiles

 

Aagastin Walsh, Stratford, Perth
Soil Type: Sandy loam | Farm Operation: Cash Crop
Years in Operation of Moldboard Plow:

Tillage/Cropping System

System: Moldboard Plow
Fall Tillage: Furrow Roll Over Plow
Spring Tillage: Cultivating twice over

Planter Make, Model and Description
  • John Deere 1771 NT with no-till coulter in front of row
  • No-till dry fertilizer coulter on one side
  • Keeton seed firmers and Martin spade closing wheel
  • Drag chains in row to level off and fill air pockets left by closing wheel
  • In no-till, front coulter is 3 inches off row, 17 inches in diameter 25 flute and set to ½ inch depth.
  • In no-till, fertilizer opener is 3 inches off row and uses Flexicoil air cart to deliver dry fertilizer
Tillage/Coulter Dimensions:
  • Flexicoil 230 Model Cart (air)

Fertilizer System:
Liquid In furrow: 2 gal of 8-24-6 Alpine
Broadcast: 140N-28% with herbicide
Dry Banded: 100lbs MAP with Zinc
Additional Nitrogen on Planter: none
Sidedress N: none

Producer's Comments

Pros

Cons
  • 28% is worked in with Prime Extra herbicide.
  • Starter fertilizer is banded close to row (more economical than liquid).
  • In no-till both sides of the seed trench are worked or fractured and there is no side wall compaction due to spaded closing wheel.
  • With air cart there is no need to till very often.
  • Keeton seed firmers keep seed at the bottom of the trench.
  • Big long unit which takes some time to get used to.
  • Increased compaction on worked ground by heavy air cart .
  • Cannot see row units behind air cart while operating.