Rising agricultural production costs are forcing farmers to change their soil cultivation strategies. The fact is that deep cultivation consumes significantly more fuel and time than shallow or ultra-shallow cultivation. What exactly is ultra-shallow soil cultivation? Do shallow treatments reduce weed infestation? What machines should be used for this? We invite you to read our article!
What is shallow and ultra-shallow soil cultivation? What does it involve?
Shallow soil cultivation involves loosening the top layer of soil. It is usually carried out to a depth of up to 10 cm. An example of shallow cultivation is stubble cultivation, which aims to stimulate self-sown seeds to germinate. We described how to cultivate stubble and what machines to use for this in our previous article entitled: “Shallow but effective – stubble cultivation and cover crop sowing,” which we warmly invite you to read.
Ultra-shallow soil cultivation? How does it differ from shallow cultivation? Obviously, in terms of depth. Ultra-shallow cultivation is performed to a depth of up to 5 cm and is mainly aimed at reducing weed infestation. It also differs in terms of the machines required for this purpose.
Ultra-shallow cultivation requires the use of machines whose specific operation and working elements differ slightly from standard machines. The design itself is also different, as ultra-shallow cultivation machines are usually equipped with several rows of tines, which are designed to cut the entire surface of the field and spread the residues and weeds across the field as much as possible.
What machines are used for ultra-shallow soil cultivation?
AGROLAND BIOCULTI cultivator
The AGROLAND BIOCULTI cultivator is a machine designed for shallow cultivation. The machine consists of six rows of spring tines and two rows of rake fingers behind the machine. The spring tines can be additionally equipped with a goose foot coulter, which is particularly recommended for ultra-shallow soil cultivation. The tines are designed to cut and pull out as many roots as possible, and the double harrow at the rear of the machine is used to spread the debris across the entire field. This prevents weeds from being pressed into the soil surface, which hinders their germination. The machine has low power requirements, which is a definite advantage in terms of fuel consumption. The optimal working depth of the machine on a goose foot coulter is 5 to 10 cm.
AGROLAND TITANUM HEAVY ULTRA disc harrow
The AGROLAND TITANUM HEAVY ULTRA disc harrow is a machine designed for farmers who want to cultivate very shallowly.
At first glance, the machine does not differ significantly from a standard disc harrow, as it is also equipped with two parallel rows of discs and a finishing roller. The main difference here is the working elements used. The TITANUM HEAVY ULTRA disc harrow is equipped with special CROSSCUTTER discs designed for very shallow cultivation. The working depth of the disc harrow with these discs is up to 5 cm! This is very shallow. At this depth, the machine perfectly mixes residues with the soil, while offering much less resistance than a standard disc harrow, which translates into lower fuel consumption.
AGROLAND PWN mulcher (double knife roller)
AGROLAND PWN mulcher (double knife roller) The AGROLAND PWN mulcher is a machine used mainly for destroying corn stubble and removing catch crops, most often in late autumn. We have described the benefits of its use in the article entitled: “Management of corn stubble,” but this machine is also used for shallow cultivation of stubble after grain or rapeseed. Spirally arranged cutting blades disturb the top layer of soil to a depth of up to 3 cm, which effectively stimulates weeds and self-sown plants to germinate. When used after rapeseed, the mulcher effectively breaks the stems, which accelerates their decomposition in the soil. The visual effect after the machine has passed is minimal, but the advantage is the speed at which the machine can work. The optimal working speed is approximately 18 km/h.
In summary
Does ultra-shallow cultivation reduce weed infestation? The answer is YES. Machines such as BIOCULTI are designed precisely for this purpose, i.e., to spread weeds across the field, which makes it difficult for them to germinate again and causes them to dry out slowly. The disc harrow with CROSSCUTTER discs mixes the residues perfectly at a shallow depth, while the mulcher destroys the above-ground parts.
