Corn Champ Credits "Mini Moldboards"

Corn Champ Credits "Mini Moldboards" TILLAGE EUIPMENT New Tools 26-1-16 After once again winning the national corn growing contest with 408 bu. per acre, Francis Childs, Manchester, Iowa, said fighting soil compaction is a main ingredient in his recipe for success. He told the weekly farm newspaper, Agri-View, that one thing that helps fight compaction are "mini moldboard" plows made by Wiese Corp. (1501 5th St., Box 39, Perry, Iowa 50220 ph 800 568-4391). "Mini moldboards" replace the existing moldboards on a moldboard plow. Francis describes the mini moldboard bottoms as looking like regular bottoms, but with two-thirds of each moldboard missing. Mini moldboards leave 40 to 50 percent crop residue on the soil surface, which Childs needs on some of his ground because it's classed as highly erodible. He plows 12 to 14 in. deep. "The first year where I plowed deep with the mini moldboard, the corn yielded 45 bushels higher than anyplace else. That same year, one of my plots for the Iowa Masters corn growers contest yielded 33 bushels higher." Wiese company spokesman Gary Becker says mini moldboards have been on the market for about 10 years, and interest has picked up in recent years. "They retain the advantages of conventional moldboard plows, but leave more trash on top to help stop water and wind erosion. One big advantage is that it loosens and fractures soil for easier water penetration. It also allows deeper penetration into the hardpan. It penetrates about 14 in. deep into the soil compared to 10 in. for most moldboard plows. It tills deeper and fractures the soil better than a chisel plow, and it mixes soil better than a deep ripper. "Unlike a conventional moldboard, our mini moldboards don't turn over all the soil, which is why 40 to 50 percent of the residue is left on the surface. We offer models designed to fit most major brands of moldboard plows." The company says it costs about $375 to retrofit a 7-bottom plow with the mini moldboards.

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