For those looking at getting demanding maize or fodder beet into the ground in the next month, it’s a good time to think about whether your current plough is up to it. Or whether you can do better, and benefit from the more effective weed control, lower operating costs, and increased yield.
Todd Murray, Canterbury and Upper South Salesman, on the FarmChief team has some observations on how highly-engineered Agrolux ploughs have been helping farmers and contractors achieve just that.
WHEN THE GOING IS TOUGH
Todd says, with a lack of rain there’s some hard ground out there right now, but it’s nothing that the Agrolux, with its flush point, can’t handle. There’s also the hydraulic vari width which means when you’re going into a grass paddock and the going is tough, you can easily narrow the furrows. Then, when it gets around to autumn stubble, you can open them right up. (They’re also a useful feature when you’re working an irregular or smaller area.)
WHAT SIZE OF PLOUGH DO I NEED?
The traditional view is that it depends on the horse power of your tractor and (obviously) of the size of your farm, or set up, and how quickly you want the ground turned over. But Todd says recently he’s seen an interesting trend. “Over the past 10 years, with big horse power tractors, there was a move towards 7-8 furrow, semi-trailed ploughs. In the last couple of years it’s been fully-mounted 5-6 furrows.” He puts the change down to the simplicity of operation of the smaller plough, and the fact that the 3 point linkage, again, makes easy work of hard ground, as the agrolux plough doesn’t just rely on its own weight for effective penetration.
WHY IS PLOUGHING MAKING A COME-BACK?
Preparation, as they say, is everything. Ploughing is a way of getting a great start to seed beds, burying weeds and reducing the costs (environmental and otherwise) of chemicals. Ploughs bury trash and, because furrows butt up to each other, weeds don’t get through. Then it’s just a couple of passes with discs and a roller and there’s a level seedbed, ready for the fert. truck, and precision seeders.
SETTING UP YOUR PLOUGH
FarmChief have an experienced ploughman who delivers the ploughs. He ensures that everything is ready to go and you’re completely satisfied. (Not saying that you couldn’t do it yourself, but it never hurts to have an extra hand.)
Agrolux ploughs from 3-10 furrows are available now. And, if you’re finding it hard to say goodbye to your current plough, FarmChief can find it a good home.