We’re bringing ploughing back!

Benefits of ploughing. 

Of all the tools used for mechanical weed control, it is the plough that has made itself known as the most reliable over the centuries. The threat of herbicide-resistant weeds is increasing and is forcing many of today’s farmers to act and again use ploughing as their key strategy for weed control.

The plough has many advantages:

• Its systematic approach makes it a very efficient way of cultivation with a low energy input.
• By cutting and inverting furrows, the soil is broken up in its natural splitting pattern.
• Ploughing increases topsoil volume by about 30 %.
• Using a skimmer to cut loose and bury perennial weeds and fungus-infected stubble deep in the soil greatly increases work efficiency.

Considering the modern cultivation challenges farmers across New Zealand are facing (high-use paddocks making it difficult to maintain and promote a healthy soil structure), the ploughing action can have a significantly positive impact on soil health and productivity. 

Thanks to the loosening up of the topsoil, damage caused by field traffic can be repaired, aeration of compacted soil can be achieved, water stores can be accessed, and nutrients can be mineralised and benefit new crops. 

As well as eliminating weed growth, the stubble and trash that snails and insects thrive on are effectively removed from the soil, decreasing the need for costly spray programs.

What does the research say?

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala has studied how much energy is needed to loosen up top soil using different implements. Plough, tooth cultivator and disc implements were compared.

Results indicated that a plough is an efficient tool for loosening up soil, combating weeds and incorporating plant reside and manure.

Specifically:

• The plough required the least energy per cubic metre of loose soil,
• Increasing the furrow width from 35 to 40 cm saves 11%, and 
• Reducing the working depth from 24 to 19 cm saves 30cm.

The correct angle is essential. 

Importantly, after using a plough body specifically designed and manufactured by Överum, the bottom of the furrow is not smooth or packed like it is from many other brands. The rake angle of the share to the soil is directly related to the resulting cultivation work. 

Additionally, the rake angle also has a significant bearing on the draught requirement, or the power used to operate the plough. Överums sharp wearing parts combined with a favourable rake angle deliver a low draught requirement and a cheaper implement to run. 

The JTI research institute has made a comparison of the draught requirements of the three most common plough brands. A 100 hp measuring tractor was used to pull the four-furrow reversible ploughs.

The furrow width was adjusted to 40 cm and the ploughing depth was 20 cm. The diagram shows that the Överum plough with XL bodies was the one with the lowest draught requirements. This result means less slippage and higher efficiency, giving lower fuel consumption and cultivation costs.

Crucially, the Överum XL body has the lowest draught requirement on the market.