CNKS
06-05-2005 14:41:21
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Re: I know I'm Boring You Guys in reply to Allan in NE, 06-05-2005 06:32:18
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I have never been clear on whether your new farm is irrigated or dryland. If dryland, the others are right, you do not need a turning plow, you need an undercutter/sweep plow as a primary tillage tool, along with as much herbicide as you think you can afford. In western KS (not any different from where you are) every farmer has to have a conservation plan and is supposed to meet residue requirements requiring a certain amount of crop residue on the surface year around. Remember, you are not likely to be growing wheat after wheat. You are going to fallow it for 14-15 months after wheat, or plant corn after 10-11 months, or some other crop, then wheat again 10-11 months later, so you have to retain the previous crops residue. UNLESS you get a lot of rain, then you can do continuous wheat, that is only going to be an occasional event called opportunity cropping. In one of your posts you mentioned alfalfa -- that is why I thought you were going irrigated. All alfalfa in this area and in eastern CO is irrigated, it normally will not produce a decent crop dryland, although I have to remember that you are farther north, meaning "cooler" temperatures. If you have irrigated ground, you might justify a plow, but no one in western Kansas plows anymore, not even on irrigated ground. The only exception to what I said, if you are going dryland, is that you are really "breaking out new ground", provided the existing ground has been in pasture for several years. In that case you "may" need a plow as a one shot deal, but you will never need it again. I think a sweep plow after a rain, followed by repeated use as often as needed, perhaps three more times this summer will get the ground ready to plant wheat. HOWEVER, if it was mine, I would wait until next spring for corn, or Sept 2006 for wheat, because you don't have any subsoil moisture to grow wheat with, the previoius crop has used it all. I believe there is a University of NE research station at Scotsbluff, I know part of the staff at the one at North Platte, or at least I did, the main person I knew died a few months ago. In any event call those people and tell them what you want to do -- they will have a lot of good advice -- that's what they are there for. If I'm all wet, say so, because I'm not clear on what you are trying to do --- .
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