Margy Fischer, Farm Journal Machinery Editor
There’s no doubt that farmers will have to tackle tough situations left over from 2009 when they head to the fields in 2010. Wheel tracks, ruts, planter pinch rows, and more will be waiting once the ground thaws out and dries.
Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie says some of the problems will take more than just this year to fix. But for 2010, the focus should be on “plantability.”
Your spring decisions will include what to do about ruts and wheel tracks; what kind of tillage, if any, is needed; how to manage residue with your planter; and how to pay the carbon penalty caused by undecomposed residue.
“If we don’t take care of these issues as we come out of the gate, we’re going to see some of the toughest corn we’ve seen in a long time,” Ferrie warns.
“Anything deeper than 3" is a rut, and this year we are seeing ruts 2' or more,” Ferrie says. “In most years, farmers can plant through wheel tracks, but when the lug marks are 3" deep, that makes it tough to plant into. This is especially true when planting corn 1½" deep into a 3" wheel track. Wheel tracks in the field must be managed.
“I have had a number of farmers call and say they are glad they’re no-till because their neighbors who do tillage are sinking. But 3" deep wheel tracks in no-till can be just as big of a problem as ruts that are 1' deep in conventional tillage.”
Depending on where the ruts are, how deep they are and how many of them there are, you probably will have to do some tillage. If ruts are in highly erodible ground, be sure to check with your county Farm Service Agency.
“Before you till,” Ferrie adds, “map those ruts. It will take up to three or four years to fix some of the compaction we created, so you must remember where they are.”
And keep your focus on preparing the best seedbed for the planter pass.
“Even with these field scars fixed, unless there is a properly prepared seedbed, a farmer’s stand will suffer,” Ferrie says.
For More Information
To learn more about how to deal with these challenges in 2010, read “
What a Mess”.
