Moldboard plow?

[Dick L]

I am not sure that anyone completely answered the reason to plow which can be several. Along with making clean vegetation free soil for a seed bed you would be plowing down vegetation to rot and help fertilize as well as to keep the soil porous for drainage and water retention. We would haul corn cobs to plow down on places where my Grandfather said the clay stuck up out of the ground. The rotting vegetation also attracts earth warms that also helps keep the soil porous and fertile. Dad always tried to plow down big clover in rotation to help with this. Soil with rotting vegetation also lets the roots of the crop go deeper. Deeper roots will take on more nutrients for better yields as well as withstand dryer weather. We have always tried to plow in the 11 inch depth if we were not bringing up more than a 1/2" of yellow clay or subsoil. Some fields it takes several plowings to get to the 11 inch depth. Not all farmers share the 11 inch depth but it served us well over 60 years.

 

[sweettractors]

I am not sure that anyone completely answered the reason to plow which can be several. Along with making clean vegetation free soil for a seed bed you would be plowing down vegetation to rot and help fertilize as well as to keep the soil porous for drainage and water retention. We would haul corn cobs to plow down on places where my Grandfather said the clay stuck up out of the ground. The rotting vegetation also attracts earth warms that also helps keep the soil porous and fertile. Dad always tried to plow down big clover in rotation to help with this. Soil with rotting vegetation also lets the roots of the crop go deeper. Deeper roots will take on more nutrients for better yields as well as withstand dryer weather. We have always tried to plow in the 11 inch depth if we were not bringing up more than a 1/2" of yellow clay or subsoil. Some fields it takes several plowings to get to the 11 inch depth. Not all farmers share the 11 inch depth but it served us well over 60 years.

You Dad was very smart. If you take care of the soil, it will take care of you. Ken Sweet