Plowing vs Disking

[raynman]

Hi Everyone,

I have had a place for 3 1/2 years in mid Michigan, for the first 2 growing seasons I paid someone to disk my fields and plant feed for the deer. This got to be expensive so last year I bought a disk for my ATV, it worked well, but now I have a 4510 and want to have some fun using it in the spring. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have very sandy soil and the person doing my planting the first years just disked to property, he stated I didn't need to plow. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Last fall a neighbor plowed his land and then disked it, he said it was much better to do it this way. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

So how should I prepare my fields /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[RonR]

My two cents:

If you plow it, you will also need a second tool to smooth/till it prior to planting. If you disc it, then you can disc it again or maybe even a third time after a rain or two. That result should look almost identical to plowing it. It's what the wheat farmers do around here anyway. You can plow which is slower and takes longer that time, or trash farm it with a chisel plow and disc, which is faster and takes more trips over the fields. The end results here are similar.

Best of Luck,
Ron

 

[cowboydoc]

What are you planting? With discing you won't get as deep as you will with plowing. It's important to get deep to aerate the soil and turn it over. That's why so many farmers now chisel plow. You get the soil broken up but you don't disturb it so much that you get erosion. The plowing will also get the organic matter from your previous crop into the ground. This is important if you have poor soil. If you have really sandy ground I would seriously think about plowing. The more matter you can get in the ground and more you can break up that sand with working the soil the better off you're going to be over the years.

 

[grandad]

The pro's here know lot's more about tillage than I do, but I would think you only need to disk for game forage. Also, if you have any substantial acreage, you could get into some big equipment and cost to do both plowing and disking. At the other end, say anything under 2-3 acres, you might want to consider a pto-driven tiller rather than plow and disk. Tiller has other applications... lawns, gardens, landscaping, etc... where a disk/plow won't go.

 

[soarkrebel]

When i start a new plot i like to plow it with my moldboard. and then disc it.

After that you can just disc it if you change whats planted every year.
I added about two hundred pounds to my disc's and it really made a difference in performance. i used railroad irons and bolted them to the disc.

 

[nomad]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I. disk my fields and plant feed for the deer. )</font>

I thought the deer is in the category of unwanted animals to be scared off the planted area. I never heard. Are these domesticated deers?

Ps: as for which tooling, to me, disc plowing (not mouldboard) will work better in a sandy soil. I'm sure someone will come here and will recommend a rotary tiller as he is recommending tillers for everythings even for plowing the grass. You know he is a tiller seller with full wisdom. at least, he thinks himself so.

 

[PineRidge]

Does anyone else sense that the testosterone may be flowing a bit heavy here today? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I also use a plow, disk, and rotary tiller. Although they are used at various stages of preparing seed beds.

And I offer no implements for sale commercially. I certainly hope this does not put me in your bad grace list Nomad. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Egon]

In the area which I am familiar with the cultivation practices have changed to take into account larger tractors [ say 150 HP and up ], erosion control, soil moisture conservation and tillage costs.

The plough gave way to the large disc which in turn was replaced by vibrating shank cultivators or chisel ploughs and now zero tillage is becoming more common. This method reduces planting costs and maximizes moisture retention and wind erosion.

With a sandy soil moisture retention would be a big factor as well as high winds moving sand particles and cutting off stems of newly sprouted crops.

If your soil conditions are amendable I'd try a test and direct seed with no cultivation in a previously seeded area. Perhaps on one test plot run over it with a diamond harrow prior to seeding.

Cultivation may be required after a ??? number of years to eliminate unwanted plants which will start to encroach on the plots.

Note: these methods are used in a different area, different climate and perhaps different sized agricultural fields. All factors to take into consideration.

Egon

 

[Soundguy]

Sandy soil is going to plow or disc easy. If it were a farm or pasture.. I might plow it once.. to change the crop or grass type.. and then only disc it thereafter.

your money.. your choice.... It's a feedplot right?

( IMHO - light duty implements that can be pulled behind atv's and lawnmoweres are not much more than expensive toys.. no offense. Get a real disc and go to work..
Also... a disc, as mentioned by the others doesn't bite very deep... 3" to 4" or so.. .. though.. the plow bites deeper, you have to finish over the plowing to plant... whereas the disc can be done right ( multiple trips and /or cross discing ) and plant directly.


Soundguy

 

[Evasive1]

I agree with Egon,

Spending most summers on my Uncle's ranch growing up I have spent way to many hours to count in front of a 12 bottom plow. Now my Uncle still has those same plows but they just sit. Because of erosion control, soil moisture conservation and tillage costs and all the other things Egon said. Growing up in Wheat Country of Kansas and now in OK you very rarely see a field being plowed unless it is pasture being turned to farmland.

Recall the dust bowl days when everyone plowed everything leading to loss of moisture in the ground and then soil erosion.