Deep-Tilling One-Pass Ridge Planter

Deep-Tilling One-Pass Ridge Planter PLANTERS Planters 13-4-24 "My goal in developing this machine was to obtain the speed and ease of no-till and yet still loosen the soil down deep for optimum root growth while forming ridges," says Andy Reynolds, Six Lakes, Mich., about his one-pass corn planter built around a Glencoe Soil Saver. "This rig evolved over a 4-year period. Originally I used a 3-pt. IH 5500 chisel plow with high clearance legs. However, rows were not straight with the 3-pt. chisel so I acquired a Glencoe Soil Saver and removed the front row of shanks, replacing them with four legs from the 5500 chisel plow. They give me deep penetration in the row and I can inject 28% nitrogen on the four shanks. "The five original Soil Saver shanks were left on the rear row of shanks for shallower penetration. I put 10-in. hilling shovels on these to form the ridges and built my own floating bridge hitch and tool bar to carry the 4 ground-driven Allis Chalmers planter units. The front row of coulter discs was left in place on the Soil Saver. "I put saddle tanks on the tractor to apply 28% nitrogen and also herbicides using flood-jet nozzles which mount on each planter row unit. The bulk of my fertilizer is broadcast prior to planting and incorporated with this unit. We disk only once in the fall to chop and mix stalks and flatten ridges for the next spring planting. "Because of the deep tilling action of this rig I think my corn showed drought stress later than other fields in this area. The Soil Saver can be switched back to its original configuration in 3 to 4 hrs." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Andrew Reynolds, 2501 N. County Line Road, Six Lakes, Mich. 48886.

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