Autumn and winter are a special time for farmers. On the one hand, there is the delayed corn harvest, and on the other, cereals preparing for their winter rest. On some fields, cultivation work has already been completed, while on others, catch crops are waiting to be mixed into the soil. How to prepare the soil for winter rest? What machines to use? We invite you to read our article.
How to prepare the field for winter? How deep to cultivate?
Preparing the soil for winter mainly depends on how we intend to use the field in spring. Will spring cereals, sugar beets, or corn be sown on it? Or maybe potatoes?
In each of these cases, deep cultivation should be carried out in the fall, even at the turn of November and December. Late autumn deep cultivation gives the soil time to rest and allows it to accumulate more water thanks to winter rainfall. If deep cultivation is carried out in the spring, the soil is much more vulnerable to drying out, causing severe yield losses.
How deep should you plow? What machines should you use?
How deep you plow the soil for winter depends primarily on what machine you use and what type of soil you are working with. In the case of traditional plowing, the depth should not exceed 30 cm, because we will bring the so-called “dead soil,” i.e., less fertile soil, to the surface, and any residues will be thrown very deep, which will hinder decomposition. If we decide to use a machine other than a plow, it is worth considering deep cultivation with the AGROLAND MAHIT chisel plow. This machine can work at a depth of up to 55 cm. Thanks to its chisel coulters and undercutters, the AGROLAND MAHIT chisel plow extracts nutrients from deeper soil layers without turning the soil, but instead mixing it intensively. This gives the plant better access to nutrients and facilitates its development by loosening the soil through thorough aeration.
The situation is different in the case of catch crops, which must remain in the field until February 15. In this case, we cannot remove them with a plow or a chisel plow, for example. We also cannot use a disc harrow for this purpose. An excellent alternative in this case is the AGROLAND PWN mulcher, i.e., a double knife roller. This machine, equipped with spirally mounted cutting knives, effectively removes various types of catch crops, even very tall ones that have managed to build up a large amount of green mass. The cutting knives shred and cut the plants into small pieces. The shredded mass forms mulch, which protects the soil very well against erosion throughout the winter.
What about corn harvested for grain?
Corn harvested for grain leaves behind a large amount of crop residue. How to manage the residue? You can find out in our previous articles: “Winter crops after corn – does it make sense?” and “Management of corn crop residue.” If, after late corn harvesting, sowing is planned only in the spring, it is also worth performing deep cultivation in the fall. The AGROLAND MAHIT chisel plow is also well suited for this purpose, but before plowing with a chisel plow, the corn residues should be shredded with a disc harrow from the AGROLAND TITANUM STANDARD or TITANUM HEAVY series. A field prepared in this way can easily lie fallow until spring and wait for the next crops.
