Deflector Plates Protect Corn On Windy Days

Deflector plates protect corn on windy days CULTIVATORS Cultivators (58C) 13-2-8 "I can cultivate on windy days without damaging corn leaves," says Iowa farmer Sidney Jiskoot, of Sanborn, about his home-built cultivator deflector plates that mount in front of his cultivator's rolling shields. The adjustable curved metal plates, 7 in. wide and 14 in. high, direct corn leaves through the rolling shields to keep the shields' fingers from catching the leaves. The plates are bolted to a 1-in. wide, 14-in. long horseshoe-shaped bracket that bolts to the rolling shield's mounting tongue. "The problem is that on windy days, the fingers on the rolling shields tend to pull the leaves down to the ground and then the cultivator shovels throw dirt on them," explains Jiskoot, who built the patented deflector plates four years ago. "After dirt is deposited on the leaves, the corn plant hangs crooked and can even die. The deflector plates keep the leaves inside the rolling shields, away from the fingers." Jiskoot, who practices minimum till-age, says trash won't plug up inside the deflector platen because they clear the ground by several inches. "Rocks aren't a problem either because the shields usually ride over them." The deflector plates can be moved for-ward or backward by changing the position of the mounting bolts. Slots in the plates allow them to be moved up or down depending on corn height. Jiskoot is looking for a manufacturer. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sidney Jiskoot, Rt. 1, Sanborn, Iowa 51248 (ph 712 757-4609).

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