Opposing Coulters Build A Better Berm
Strip tilling in continuous corn residue is difficult, but Mark Muench solved the problem by mounting opposing coulters on a Salford strip-till tool. The opposing coulters build the berm he needs, and mole knife shanks break up wheel track compaction. The design works so well that Salford Equipment adopted the design and has made it an option for other customers.
“Everything I used was Salford components,” says Muench. “I just rearranged them.”
Muench was so impressed with the equipment and how it worked that he has since become a Salford dealer. When he first rearranged their tillage tool, he was just a frustrated farmer.
“I had tried various machines that worked under ideal conditions, but not under heavy residue,” recalls Muench. “I bought the Salford tool to tear up corn stalks.”
The tool had a rolling basket and concave coulters. Muench liked how it handled the residue, but he needed berms to plant and fertilize in the spring.
Over the next two years, Muench tried different components and arrangements, removing the baskets and turning the concave coulters to oppose each other. He added the shanks with mole knives every 30 in. to get under compaction. Rolling wavy coulters (5 to a row) till a 20-in. strip ahead of the coulters with a 10-in. untilled strip in between.
“The mole knives have pneumatic tubes attached to apply anhydrous ammonia at root level,” says Muench. “The coulter pairs follow the knives and build a berm over the fertilizer.”
Muench says he always plants directly over a knife track. As a result, he says, the roots practically explode.
“You can stick your hand 6 to 7 in. into the ground where the shank ran,” he says. “In the drought last year, we averaged 140 bu./acre and had fields that went over 160 without rain. There was a lot of 70 to 100 bu./acre corn in the area. Our organic matter is up about half a percent, the soil is healthier, and we have no erosion.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Muench AgriSolutions, 445 F Ave., Ogden, Iowa 50212 (ph 515 846-6482; mmuenchag@gmail.com; www.muenchagrisolutions.com).
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Opposing Coulters Build A Better Berm PLANTERS Strip tilling in continuous corn residue is difficult but Mark Muench solved the problem by mounting opposing coulters on a Salford strip-till tool The opposing coulters build the berm he needs and mole knife shanks break up wheel track compaction The design works so well that Salford Equipment adopted the design and has made it an option for other customers “Everything I used was Salford components ” says Muench “I just rearranged them ” Muench was so impressed with the equipment and how it worked that he has since become a Salford dealer When he first rearranged their tillage tool he was just a frustrated farmer “I had tried various machines that worked under ideal conditions but not under heavy residue ” recalls Muench “I bought the Salford tool to tear up corn stalks ” The tool had a rolling basket and concave coulters Muench liked how it handled the residue but he needed berms to plant and fertilize in the spring Over the next two years Muench tried different components and arrangements removing the baskets and turning the concave coulters to oppose each other He added the shanks with mole knives every 30 in to get under compaction Rolling wavy coulters 5 to a row till a 20-in strip ahead of the coulters with a 10-in untilled strip in between “The mole knives have pneumatic tubes attached to apply anhydrous ammonia at root level ” says Muench “The coulter pairs follow the knives and build a berm over the fertilizer ” Muench says he always plants directly over a knife track As a result he says the roots practically explode “You can stick your hand 6 to 7 in into the ground where the shank ran ” he says “In the drought last year we averaged 140 bu /acre and had fields that went over 160 without rain There was a lot of 70 to 100 bu /acre corn in the area Our organic matter is up about half a percent the soil is healthier and we have no erosion ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Muench AgriSolutions 445 F Ave Ogden Iowa 50212 ph 515 846-6482; mmuenchag@gmail com; www muenchagrisolutions com
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