Source: landwirt.com
The cultivator is an important tool for mechanical weed control. This is especially true for organic farmers who have to manage without chemical pesticides. The cultivator's effectiveness depends on the share and trailing roller.
All cultivators should require as little traction as possible. This not only saves fuel and steel, but also protects the soil. Lightweight machines and cultivators supported on axles require particularly low traction. Precise cuts within a single horizon are important for removing root weeds such as thistles and dock. This can only be achieved safely and across a wide area if the shares overlap sufficiently – by at least 6 cm – and the share tip does not engage too far under the ground. Only in this way will there be enough firm soil below this cutting horizon to ensure a precise, step-by-step, downward cut over several passes.
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Cut precisely instead of mixing
The goosefoot share is the right choice for this. Only a few suppliers manage to achieve a comparable working pattern with a wing share design, because the emphasis here is on "rooting" and mixing. In organic farming, however, precise cutting is paramount, so compromises in mixing may be necessary. However, trailing implements such as drag tines or angled discs can largely compensate for this shortcoming. Alongside the cultivator, the large spring-tooth harrow is a very valuable tool in organic stubble cultivation.
Depending on the tine strength, this tool can be used at working depths of 3–15 cm. The large number of tines effectively pushes cut root weeds upwards. This tool is frequently used for root weed remediation. Some farms also use the large spring-tooth harrow as a standard operation for seedbed preparation.
The right strategy against weeds
Depending on weed pressure and weather conditions, the correct tillage strategy varies greatly from field to field. The shade tillage of the main crop only lasts for a few hours after harvest, until the sun removes it. Therefore, especially in dry years, the immediate first shallow tillage pass behind the combine harvester is important to maintain the tillage. Compact disc harrows, which unfortunately do not cut precisely, are just as suitable for this as a large spring-tooth harrow, which, depending on the tooling, can also cut across a surface. If weed pressure requires root weed control, you should use the summer window for this. Sowing a catch crop is then usually only possible before a summer crop and, of course, depends heavily on the year – or it may have to be omitted altogether because mechanical weed control takes priority.
Root weeds must be cut back and allowed to dry out on the surface. This requires three things:
- the exact flat cut,
- the tools that place the cut pieces loosely on top and
- the sun.
Strategy against thistles
Two approaches are possible. An effective but time-consuming variant is to harrow the soil at least three times a week. Each week the shares are set 5 cm deeper. This approach is a particularly useful strategy for thistle root, as it continually weakens the root. It has proven effective to approach the old line at an angle or diagonally on the next harrow pass. The changed fracture lines improve the cultivation and prevent the machine from running in the old "tracks" of the share points from the previous cultivation, especially in dry soil conditions. In addition, the 5 cm deep undercut is easier to reach when driving diagonally.
Weaken dock with cultivator and large spring-tooth harrow
A second approach, more commonly used with dock, is a 6–8 cm deep cut. The cut root pieces must then be brought to the surface, for example, using a large-toothed hoe. There, they dry out, sprout new shoots, and become exhausted. This depletion of the stored reserves requires repeated tilling, so the root head must always start over again. After the roots have been exhausted, a furrow at least 20 cm deep is required.
The following applies to both strategies: If I have decided to do it, then I have to stick with it and not stop halfway through weakening the root weeds.
Establish strong main crops and cover crops
Tillage is only one approach to weed control. Competition through shading and nutrient depletion is at least as important. Shading requires strong main crops and vigorous cover crops. Nutrient supply is crucial for this. Successful cover crops must also be established safely and in a timely manner. All of this is only possible with careful consideration of the crop's cultivation in advance. Crop rotation and its strategic planning play an important role.
Goosefoot flock new and worn: The required 6 cm overcut is significantly reduced by the end. The attached share has a slight undercut, which improves penetration. However, compromises have to be made when it comes to the "exact cutting horizon."
Large spring tooth harrows can be equipped with Chisel or goosefoot shares Only with duckfoot shares can you achieve a precise, flat cut. This can reduce the machine's retraction in some cases. In this case, the first rows can be equipped with chisel points as a compromise.
The goosefoot shares of this homemade design are positioned much steeper and have a pronounced underhand grip. Their "broad chest" gives the system an advantage in terms of "rooting." However, compromises must be made in terms of precise horizontal cutting. The spade-type roller harrow has proven itself as a trailing harrow. In favorable moisture conditions, it manages to bring cut root remains to the surface and deposit them there. However, a compromise must be made when it comes to reconsolidation.
This double roller with a double row of harrows allows for sufficient reconsolidation without excessive pressure, as can occur with tire packers, for example. The root residue is lifted and deposited by the second, smaller and therefore faster-running roller and the double row of harrows. Combined with multiple passes, this is an ideal combination for controlling couch grass.
The choice of trailing roller depends on the soil and the desired application. This U-profile roller reconsolidates in strips further down. It also allows water and air to penetrate the soil more effectively in loose areas. When combined with a seeding device, the roller strip can run precisely on the seed row.
In dry conditions, the double star cracker roller brings cut weeds and root debris to the surface. The second roller is smaller and rotates faster. The front roller serves more for reconsolidation.