My advice on working the field may depend upon what you want to do with the field when you're done. If you want to replant for crops or wildlife food plots I'd probably do the following:
1.) Brush hog / cut (5' or 6' cutter for your tractor)
2.) Plow (either a Lrg single bottom 18"-20" or Sm/Med 2-bottom 12"-16")
3.) Disc (5ft - 6ft disc size)
4.) Plant
You may find that you use much less fuel and time by plowing and THEN discing as opposed to just discing. You'll do pass after pass with the disc and may not accomplish much, especially in the dry late summer soils.
Advantages of plowing are that it will drain better, improve aeration, and if you plan to re-plant, plowing will assist in killing existing vegetation.
You're other option is to brush cut, wait a week or so for new growth to begin, and then spray the entire field with Roundup. Wait another couple of days for the chemicals to go to work and then begin discing/planting. Again, based upon economics alone, the plow will probably save you money over buying Roundup.
Advantages of Roundup over plowing are less soil nutrient erosion/washaway, less wear and tear on a tractor (plowing is hard work), and less much less dust if you're working dry soil. If you don't have a no till planter or grain drill, you will need to work the soil with a disc at the very least in order to plant.
Your final decision may depend on whether you have access to a plow or sprayer sized to fit your tractor, as well as what type of seed and application you intend to execute after working up the field. Lastly, plowing won't kill ALL vegetation, whereas spraying with Roundup will kill 99% of whatever vegetation is growing at the time. And you can then re-plant with fresh seed in a very short time after the application of Roundup.
Every Spring I work+plant approx 7 or 8 acres of food plots for deer hunting in three different Michigan counties which include corn, sorghum, rape, turnips, rye, LabLab, and sunflowers. My standard field work routine for all of those crops and food plots is:
plow - disc - plant
-OR-
weedwack - rototill - plant
I sometimes use my 5ft tiller in remote locations and small foodplots
to avoid traveling repetitively with several different implements. My little
1500D is perfect for trailering to the area via 2-track, and then squeezing in small tight woodlot openings to reach remote hunting stands.
Just my 2-cents, Good Luck!
BillyBob
