The first step in spring planting is seedbed preparation: cover crop residues need to be incorporated into the soil. Breaking up the soil and mixing in the crop is performed by a stubble cultivator or disc harrow – both are Pöttinger specialities.
Many regions of Europe were subjected to very low temperatures this winter, meaning that cover crops and winter crops were well wilted from the frost. The right seedbed preparation is key to obtaining a good soil structure and supporting soil life: the incorporation of frost-wilted organic material should be as shallow as possible so instead of the material being buried, it can offer sufficient erosion protection.
Pöttinger offers a range of machinery especially designed for shallow soil preparation – such as the TERRADISC compact disc harrow and SYNKRO stubble cultivator – to ensure perfect seedbed preparation.
TERRADISC – the specialist in shallow soil preparation
TERRADISC disc harrows guarantee blockage-free operation and high speed passes even in heavy mulch residues. The uniform, shallow working depth and optimum packing effect produces a perfect seedbed.
The compact design, aggressive disc angle and offset configuration of the tools ensure reliable penetration and excellent mixing in of harvest residues. The short construction is a key feature of Pöttinger compact disc harrows. With the TERRADISC, you have a choice of working depths between 3 and 12 cm for site-specific soil cultivation.
With Pöttinger stubble cultivators it is not just about depth
As an alternative you can also incorporate cover crop residues using a SYNKRO stubble cultivator.
The points can be set to two positions: shallow or deep. With the wings in the shallow position, they cut right through the soil to produce a uniform tilth between the points and the wings. This ensures optimum germination conditions and water balance for the planting stage.
Using the stubble cultivator also has the advantage that weeds and volunteers are combated mechanically. Using the stubble cultivator in the spring provides cost-efficient and sustainable tillage of fields across the full range of applications for every farm. That is pure versatility.
SUMMARY:
- Shallow incorporation of cover crops to conserve the soil
- Soil structure and soil life are retained
- Sufficient mulch is left on the surface to ensure erosion protection is provided
- Cost-effective and sustainable tillage.
