Cultivating depths

[Bman]

Just a quick one what depth of tillage would you class as min till and what depth would you class maxi till ? And what do people think is the optimum depth where fuel and time are saved but crop performance is not compromised?

 

[franklin]

Min-till would be couple of inches. If you are also subsoiling to actuallt reduce compaction rather than make someone else happy, then I would say you can do that in a min-till environment. Maxi-till is moving the *whole lot* 6" or so deep.

 

[Oat]

Min till = up to 5cm
Maximum tillage (ploughing) = 15-20cm

 

[colhonk]

Min till= tractor on stuble,machine behind working and sowing in one go.Max min till= working it over more than once.

 

[Flintstone]

Min till isn't really classified as a certain depth. It's more of a method than a depth.

Some people will have their TopDowns and Disc Cordones working at 15 cm. that's still min till. Some people might plough at the same depth.

Min till is more a case of doing a lot less work to get an acceptable seed bed than a traditional plough based system.

 

[Brisel]

Min till isn't really classified as a certain depth. It's more of a method than a depth.

Some people will have their TopDowns and Disc Cordones working at 15 cm. that's still min till. Some people might plough at the same depth.

Min till is more a case of doing a lot less work to get an acceptable seed bed than a traditional plough based system.

This.

There are many different ways of describing min till. Last time someone asked what direct drilling was in here the thread ran to several pages and got very shouty at times.

It doesn't involve a plough. The guys running Simba Solos, Discordons, Topdowns, Trios etc working any depth from an inch down to a foot can all describe themselves as "min tilling". It is less of a mouthful that Deep Non Inversion Tillage.

 

[hindmaist]

Min till is when you make a wee hole in the stubble,pop a potato in it and cover it up.

Or is that direct drilling?

 

[strawturner]

Min till, Very simple you do the minimum amount of tillage to satisfy your own needs. Some people think this is one pass with a carrier/joker followed by drilling. Whilst others think this simply means not ploughing. Im personally flexible with the description, but find it quite frustrating when attending meetings that our industry doesn't have a better way of describing tillage methods. At a basis course once I was told there are 3 ways of working land, ploughing, min till, and direct drilling. It makes it hard for me anyway to make sensible comparisons because when walking land and being told it was min tilled I actually have no idea what that means, and have to ask more in depth questions about the methods used, great if the answers are there but a disaster if min till is the only answer I'm getting.

Just to add,
Optimum depth for fuel economy and plant performance is also very fluid depending on soil type and structure, and even method of cultivation. So its very hard to answer!

 

[SRRC]

I do two passes, 125hp tractor, plough then combidrill using about 12 to 15 litres/ha fuel each time.
To me that's mini till .
My neighbour uses 180hp, does 3 passes with deep cultivator then drills and also calls it mini till.

 

[Fish]

I do two passes, 125hp tractor, plough then combidrill using about 12 to 15 litres/ha fuel each time.
To me that's mini till .
My neighbour uses 180hp, does 3 passes with deep cultivator then drills and also calls it mini till.

Wow,
if the plough followed by the combi is your definition of min till, I'd like to see your definition of max till

 

[SRRC]

It's a good illustration of the problems in trying to pigeonhole a process.
Max till may be deep ploughing and a combi set arseholes deep, likewise max till may be multiple passes with 200hp just about pulling a 3m tine/disc.
Ultimately it's about cost effectiveness, and that will vary from soil type to soil type.

 

[Oat]

Min till isn't really classified as a certain depth. It's more of a method than a depth.

Some people will have their TopDowns and Disc Cordones working at 15 cm. that's still min till. Some people might plough at the same depth.

Min till is more a case of doing a lot less work to get an acceptable seed bed than a traditional plough based system.

I agree

 

[Bobthebuilder]

Wow,
if the plough followed by the combi is your definition of min till, I'd like to see your definition of max till

Plough then combi drill = 2 passes, you don't get any more minimal than that [emoji848]

 

[Fish]

Plough then combi drill = 2 passes, you don't get any more minimal than that [emoji848]

Well, I guess, if you consider shift'in around 3000 tons of soil per ha as minimal, it is
I on the other hand have another definition.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

Well, I guess, if you consider shift'in around 3000 tons of soil per ha as minimal, it is
I on the other hand have another definition.

Which is ? Subsoil, X amount of passes with a cultivator of some kind to make a decent seedbed for a high speed drill then roll, or direct drill

 

[franklin]

Disc & press, roll. Disc & press, roll. Drill. Roll.

Doesnt move a lot of soil, but plenty of fast, shallow passes.

 

[snarling bee]

In my book 2" is min till.

What is not direct drilling is 2x with straw rake, Claydon/Mzuri, then straw rake/ power harrow before roll.

I maxitill (6" non inversion), or min till, or occasionally plough, depending on situation.

 

[Fish]

Which is ? Subsoil, X amount of passes with a cultivator of some kind to make a decent seedbed for a high speed drill then roll, or direct drill

For me min till is one or two fast passes with the carrier/disc press at 2-5cm then drill, but quiet frankly I don't care as I don't do it.
I like to direct drill, but hay,that's me.

 

[Clive]

Any cultivation requiring more than 25hp/m is not mintill imo

 

[Bobthebuilder]

For me min till is one or two fast passes with the carrier/disc press at 2-5cm then drill, but quiet frankly I don't care as I don't do it.
I like to direct drill, but hay,that's me.

Must be nice to play on the beach [emoji57]