does vertical tillage work

Using Vertical Tillage Without Casting Away Residue By Laura Barrera posted on October 26, 2015 | Posted in Equipment , Residue Management No-till and vertical tillage got bad press after washed-out stalks filled up roads and ditches, but here are some valuable tips and techniques for using these machines without ruining your no-till objectives. Another reason I hear people are using vertical tillage for is to break up hardpan. . For the last 4 years, Kansas State University Extension soils specialist DeAnn Presley has made it her mission to find out. In the South, we see every possible combination of results. “Shallow vertical tillage annoys it, but doesn’t control it,” says Bryan Young, Purdue University Extension weed scientist. From a distance, many vertical tillage tools look very similar to disks in that there are a series of round blades in a gang on a toolbar. During a No-Till Farmer webinar in October 2013, DeAnn Presley, soils specialist at Kansas State Univ., summarized the current state of vertical tillage. What is everyone’s opinion on the different brands of vertical tillage tools? From soil and residue management to pasture/hay management, SMART-TILL®'s patented tines help optimize yield by fracturing rather than turning soil. (1086 with a 496 disc.) Above photo courtesy of Great Plains Mfg. Mulch-till uses chisel plows, field cultivators, disks, sweeps, or blades to till the soil before planting. The Growing Trend Toward Vertical Tillage Tillage Tool Comparison If you've ever wondered how SMART-TILL® compares to other tillage methods, check … Vertical tillage is not intended to take care of compaction in the spring or fall. There are several manufacturers of vertical tillage equipment, and none of the implements is exactly the same. Defining what vertical tillage is, what it is not and what it’s supposed to accomplish has become a contentious and confusing issue for equipment dealers and farmers alike. Jensen and Norberg Study A 2009 research study near Jamieson, Oregon, showed improved corn yields with vertical tillage and when planted into wheat residue. Various chisel points or sweeps attached to the shanks affect the amount of residue cover left on the soil surface. I was talking to a neighbor today about what he uses in the fall to get corn stalks started to break down after harvest. With her project funded by Kansas corn growers, most of the trials will involve vertical tillage in corn production, but she does hope to expand it to wheat production in the future. Referred to as a “hybrid horizontal tillage” tool, the Kinze Mach Till is designed to improve upon vertical tillage’s residue incorporation while avoiding the smearing that occurs with conventional tillage.