Panned headland.

[Sprayer 1]

Now that my wheat is just starting to show through the stubble, I can see where the headland has a pan and the seed did not germinate due to water logging. My spade goes in about 7 inches to where I used to plough down to then stops The soil/clay below that is quite dry and not letting any water through. What would be the best tool to break it up before the next crop. Didn't want to totally smash to pieces with like a sumo as there are some worms coming back, but wondered if a shakerator would work it enough. Advice PLEASE.

 

[Matt L]

If its drained and depending on the layout of the drains in the field, it may be best to mole it.
This would increase the drainage co efficient in that area and also create fissures for the roots of the crop.
This can be done in the spring subject to suitable conditions with excellent results.

 

[Kevtherev]

As above mole drain [emoji106]

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Now that my wheat is just starting to show through the stubble, I can see where the headland has a pan and the seed did not germinate due to water logging. My spade goes in about 7 inches to where I used to plough down to then stops The soil/clay below that is quite dry and not letting any water through. What would be the best tool to break it up before the next crop. Didn't want to totally smash to pieces with like a sumo as there are some worms coming back, but wondered if a shakerator would work it enough. Advice PLEASE.

What about a sumo lds or something?

 

[britt]

On our clay based soils, when ground has been notilled or very shallow cultivated for 3-4 years and the soil begins to structure itself the Shakearator tends to lift blocks of soil and leaves the surface very rough. It's then a powerharrow job to level it again.
How it will behave after longer notill I have yet to find out.
I would suggest a low disturbance subsoiler. But I have yet to try one.

 

[Matt L]

Depends on what you are trying to achieve though.
If it needs subsoiling it is different to mole draining.
Mole draining will allow more water permeability down to the drains where as subsoiling will not.

 

[Suddy]

Don’t cultivate it. Soil test it. Put a cover crop in this spring. Sunflower and oil raddish is good. Root your way out of the problem. If you ve got muck put that on before drilling.

 

[Clive]

don't cultivate it ! - if you do you will have to do so every year, that is what deep cultivation does, ie just a temporary fix and not a solution

wait for some good warm and good establishment conditions and plant a mixed species cover into it, forgo the cash crop output this year in exchange for fixing the problem for ever

 

[Matt L]

I wouldn't class mole drainage as cultivation.
It is a specific tool for a specific task and does not fulfil the definition of cultivate.

 

[Suddy]

I do. If it’s panned now then the soil isn’t right. Therefore come spring that soil will More than Likely crack to good depth. No need to mole. Is the soil high magnesium if so Gypsum will work miracles.

 

[parker]

Now that my wheat is just starting to show through the stubble, I can see where the headland has a pan and the seed did not germinate due to water logging. My spade goes in about 7 inches to where I used to plough down to then stops The soil/clay below that is quite dry and not letting any water through. What would be the best tool to break it up before the next crop. Didn't want to totally smash to pieces with like a sumo as there are some worms coming back, but wondered if a shakerator would work it enough. Advice PLEASE.

The best tool is just what nature intended for compaction and that is roots and biology as @Clive says ,wait for the temps/conditions to improve and plant a good cover, cultivate and you are on the hamster wheel of cultivation for ever

 

[yellow belly]

a pan by definition is a layer of hard soil
find the depth of the pan
in notill it is most likely on the surface

try to keep all grain trailers on tramlines at all times this is easy when the combine is 1 /3 of the width of the tramlines

when I subsoiled wet places mostly deep tramlines in fields when I first notilled I found no improvement the same places were still wet so I gave up subsoiling and did close spaced moles most of the wet places have reduced and the rutted tramlines have mostly disappeared

now I am on 9 m controlled traffic with notill trailers on tramlines only and looking at setting the drill tractor at the wheel width of the combine headland discipline will be essential especially in later wetter harvests