Source: landwirt.com
10 tips for an optimal plough pattern
Corn stubble is usually plowed under to minimize the risk of European corn borer and Fusarium head. To prevent crop residues from remaining on the surface, the plow must be properly adjusted. A perfectly adjusted plow also requires less traction, saving diesel.
1) Measure air pressure
Check the air pressure in all wheels. It must be the same on each axle, otherwise the tractor will pull in one direction. Reduce the tire pressure.
The minimum tire pressure varies depending on the type. You can find the respective pressure specifications in the manufacturer's tire pressure charts.
2) Check lower link
Both lower links must be the same height. Do not check the height at the quick-release hooks. Instead, measure the length at the bolts or the length of the two lifting struts.
If they are not the same length, adjust the length by twisting the lifting struts. The side struts must also be positioned freely so that the plow can guide itself in the soil.
3) Adjust the top link
The top link must be positioned so that the imaginary extension runs exactly through the center of the tractor when viewed from above. Furthermore, the ideal pulling point (the intersection of the imaginary extension of the top and lower links) should intersect just behind the front axle.
Then the traction transmission is optimal. To achieve this, the top link must have a slight slope towards the tractor.
4) Determine working depth
The first step in the field is to roughly adjust the working depth. It's important that the working width of all plow bodies is the same. The plow frame must be parallel to the soil surface during operation. Use the tractor's hydraulics to adjust the desired working depth of the first plow body.
Then, adjust the same working depth of the last plow body using the top link. The support wheel is now also set to this position. Please note that a subsequent adjustment to the working depth also results in an adjustment to the top link. The working depth is correctly set when the contact surface of the last plow body is parallel to the plow sole.
5) Adjust camber
The plow should be positioned vertically in the furrow. Otherwise, each plow body will move different amounts of soil, resulting in a wavy plow pattern. Looking at the plow from behind will quickly determine whether the camber setting needs to be adjusted. On most plows, you adjust the camber using the turning mechanism. Two spindles mechanically limit the turning action. Some manufacturers use a central adjustment directly on the turning cylinder.
Keep in mind that changing the camber also changes the working depth of the individual plough bodies. You can compensate for this with the top link.
6) Adjust cutting width
In practice, it often happens that the front furrow is too narrow or too wide. This can be clearly seen from the furrow crests. If the furrow crest of the first plough body is wider than the other crests (6a), the plough must be moved towards the ploughed land. Conversely, if the first plough body moves less soil than the others at the same working depth (6b), the plough must be moved towards the unploughed land. The plough frame is usually adjusted transversely to the direction of travel using a so-called slide guide (6c). A more precise setting of the cutting width is possible by measuring two meters from the furrow edge to the unploughed land.
After plowing past, measure the distance from the marked point to the new furrow wall and subtract this value from the two meters. The resulting measurement corresponds to the cutting width of all plow bodies and can be compared with the manufacturer's specified cutting width and adjusted if necessary.
7) Create pre-jointer
If the crop residues are not properly incorporated, the skimmers are usually not positioned correctly. These should generally be set to one-third of the ploughing depth. With large amounts of crop residue, it is often necessary to adjust the skimmers further down, as otherwise they barely work in the firm soil. This is necessary, however, because otherwise they push the crop residues ahead of them, leading to clogging. If the skimmers are too deep in the soil, the furrow closure is not achieved.
The furrow ridges do not close, leaving crop residues on the surface and allowing weeds to grow through more easily. All skimmers must be set to the same working depth, and the side grip must extend 1–2 cm beyond the share tip.
8) Adjust disc coulter
The disc coulter must extend about 2 cm beyond the share tip into unplowed land. If the disc coulter is positioned within the share, it has no effect. The soil bar will break open randomly at the wear edge of the moldboard, and the plough furrow will collapse completely. The disc coulter should extend to two-thirds of the ploughing depth. Test how high you can adjust the disc coulter. The higher it extends, the more crumbly the plough furrow will be. It is important that the plough furrow remains free of clods of soil. Also check the disc coulter's oscillation. It must be able to oscillate both left and right to the direction of travel.
9) Pulling point on the plough
Depending on the make, the traction point can also be adjusted on the plow. The goal is to ensure that half of the lateral forces are absorbed by the rear plow body and half by the tractor's front tires. When plowing, lightly cut the furrow wall with the front tire. If the tractor pulls strongly against the unplowed ground, the traction point setting on the plow must be adjusted.
10) Tip for plowing
When plowing, do not drive the rear wheel directly into the furrow, but rather directly next to it on the unplowed land. This way, the first share will also work the entire furrow width. If, however, you approach the furrow normally, the plow will swing toward the worked area, and the first share will initially cover a smaller furrow width.
This beetle eats everything...
We should really rename the corn rootworm, because this year it has proven that it's not content with just the corn plant, but will consume practically anything green and tasty. To everyone's great surprise, this pest has also attacked oil pumpkins (especially the large, yellow flowers), vegetables (such as lettuce, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and other vegetables), vines, ornamentals, and even grassland. The damage caused by feeding was particularly significant in leafy vegetables.
While it is expected that the beetles will leave the tasty food plants and return to the corn to lay their eggs, it unfortunately cannot be completely ruled out that some of the beetles will remain in the same location and lay their eggs there. This fact makes eradication of this pest impossible. Therefore, every effort must be made to reduce the beetle population to an economically manageable level. This includes crop rotation and the control of the larvae and beetles—including with insecticides.
Unfortunately, the beetle has now overrun all of Austria. Current beetle catch figures show that the population is increasing everywhere, particularly sharply in the southern parts of the country. The economic damage is not limited to agriculture per se, but also impacts feed production and the food industry, such as starch production, citric acid production, and meat processing. It should be noted that 43% of total grain production in Austria is maize, even though only 27% of the area is cultivated with maize. The reason for this is quite simply that, with the scarce resource of arable land, maize produces food more efficiently and with less pesticides than grain, thanks to its 98% higher yield compared to grain (maize 106.7 and grain 53.8 dt/ha according to Statistics Austria 2014).
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