agboy - 8/23/2006 21:14

How deep do you paraplow and are you planting on the slot?          We try to run about 15-18 inches deep.  We do NOT plant on the slot created by the paraplow.......merely because we don't have any GPS equipment, and the slot gets covered with additional later tillage-------our limiting factor is weed control, so everything is oriented towards that.

Recall that the "slotter" to which I refer is run in the standing crop.

That side dressing has to take some ponies.       This last year was our first year, so we used a five shank ripper----- 4 rows, and used a Cat 55, factory settings.  Ran about 5mph.....didn't seem to work it too hard, and we pull a lot of hills.  This winter we want to build another one------6 rows, and run two next year.

Are you planning on slotting every year and Deep side dress every year?  Re the paraplow--------probably not every year every field.  It will be more selective, since I think the slotting in the standing crop is more beneficial.  And with respect to the slotter.........yes, every year........we have a lot of sticky soils, and make enough trips, that although I don't see a severe "pan", I think we do cause enough local compaction that it doesn't hurt to make sure the plants have a slot for root depth, and a softer path for the rain to soak in a little deeper a little quicker.  This year we did not note any "sidewall smear"------but that is the potential problem I see coming------although "the book" says that a little of that is appropriate, in order to define the slot...........we are going to do a lot of digging later this fall to see just where the roots ended up........so far the roots appear to have had no difficulty making it through the walls...........but before I commit to this I want to check, check, and double check.........but it looks positive so far.   Please note that the benefits of this is "gut feel" plus a little reading.......only a couple more years will provide a better factual determination.

We are building 16 to 20 inch deep zones. One set one fall and one the next.  Then do not plan on doing again for hopfuly 6 to 8 years.  Just strip till back on the old zones.  Our roots are noticably bigger than conventional tillage also.         I think the theory is really solid........again, weeds are our limiting factor-----especially for beans, so when I get those down to where I am comfortable that we have a good backup plan, I am going to try the strip till.

Bear in mind that the weeds are our problem---------so everything has to be focused on cutting weeds.......even if that means more trips.  For example, we broadcast litter as fertilizer, as compared to being able to knife it in 6 inches deep, as one could do with hog slurry.  Resultantly, we are feeding the weeds bigtime which grow from the top 2 inches of soil...........especially with any carryover fertilizer from corn to beans, since we merely shred stalks, and chisel about 7-8 inches---------which I think leaves a lot of food in the top 2 inches for the weeds, and which are tougher to get out of the beans as compared to corn (beans take too long to get to a size where we can do a good job of row cultivating, as compared to corn).............and we have noticed that with our softer soils, the corn roots are just really think 6-10 inches down.  So......I am considering moldboard plowing corn ahead of beans...........merely to get the surface nutrients down, to help weed control in the beans........put the fall-applied, broadcast litter down further into the soil profile.  We plowed a 100 acres this year of weed-problem ground, and noted that the weeds were much, much fewer, both as to that farm, and as compared to the other places.  Deep rooted weeds don't bother the beans much, since they come on so late........but the shorter-rooted stuff just grows too fast compared to the beans.  Given conditions like this past year where we had extremely late emergence due to planting in dust..........the beans didn't have a chance.