69th SWCS International Annual Conference July 27-30, 2014 Lombard, IL

1. Evaluation of Vertical Tillage Tools for
Residue Management, Manure
Incorporation and Seeding Cover Crops
Evaluation of Vertical Tillage Tools for
Residue Management, Manure
Incorporation and Seeding Cover Crops
Tim Harrigan
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Marilyn Thelen
MSU Extension
Michigan State University
Annual meeting of the
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Lombard, ILL
July 27-30, 2014
Tim Harrigan
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Marilyn Thelen
MSU Extension
Michigan State University
Annual meeting of the
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Lombard, ILL
July 27-30, 2014

2. Problem
• What is the role of vertical tillage tools in:
• Managing high-yielding corn residue
• Rate of decomposition? Planting soybeans?
• Pre-plant soil conditioning
• Create uniform planting conditions across the field?
• Manure incorporation tool
• How do they compare for N retention?
• Seeding cover crops
• Broadcast and till versus drilling, etc?

3. Coulters create soil action

4. Gang angle creates soil action
18 degrees 0 degrees

6. Manure incorporation

7. Manure N loss

8. Soybean stand, planted May 7
Stand counts on
May 21
June 26

9. Soybean stand, planted May 18

10. Soybean stand, planted May 18

11. Soybean stand, planted June 5

12. Soybean Yields 2013 (Landoll)
Crumbaugh Farm,
Gratiot*
J. Ferguson Farm, Tuscola**
Tillage
Harvest
Moisture, %
Dry Yield,
bu/ac
Harvest
Moisture, %
Dry Yield,
bu/ac
No‐Till 12.2 60.5 15.3 47.0
1X Fall 12.2 61.7 15.3 46.0
2X Fall 12.5 58.2 15.5 48.0
1X Fall, 1x Sp 13.0 61.1 15.4 49.0
2X Fall, 1x Sp 12.4 61.3 15.9 49.0

13. Salford and Great Plains Turbo-Till
Thelen Farm, Clinton Co.* Faivor Farm, Clinton Co.**
Tillage Harvest
Moisture, %
Dry Yield,
bu/ac
Harvest
Moisture, %
Dry Yield,
bu/ac
No‐Till 14.2 32.3 a ‐‐‐ 48.7 a
1X Spring 14.2 31.8 a ‐‐‐ 47.5 a
2X Spring 14.3 32.6 a ‐‐‐ 49.0 a
CV, % 5.7 4.1

14. Voisinet cover crop
• Fall Rye cover crop in
corn residue.
• Mid-October 2012
– Broadcast
– 1x
– 2x
• Case-IH Turbo-330
• 500 to 600 lb/ac
surface biomass dry
matter

15. Miller cover crop
SAfter wheat
Austrian winter pea + radish