GCTV12: Mouldboard Ploughing - Pros & Cons

Mouldboard Ploughs have returned to the landscape but in modern farming systems do they have a legitimate place?

[@gliderider7077]

Well scientists will stick with what they’re told, I agree the plow has its place, but it DOES have a place! Young farmers have no idea the benefits it will produce.

[@fakename792]

I thought that less chemicals was better. But I guess carbon footprint is the new game in town. hahahaha

[@heatmoon]

It's not. Carbon footprint has always been the game in farming. Back in college we worked with farmers on various crops to measure carbon. Less chemicals isn't why people use moldboard. And as far as carbon goes moldboard plowing turns under the crap on top and tears what under up, root matter is where your organic carbon comes from I soil, not from the stuff on top. The problem we had with no til was fungus, too far north and too much rain at the time. Your cynicism is stupid as your comment was poorly informed. Organic farming, which is no chemicals is an impossible way for farmers to do any kind of acreage and getting certified means essentially no risk of chemicals which means you must go 100 percent organic. The cost of chemicals is what is prohibitive for most farmers. Investing in chemicals is almost always going to pay i yield, the balance between cost and benefit it the

[@bigteddy66]

Plough plough plough, nothing like it, min till is just the way to encourage weeds, weeds need to be controlled otherwise the crop is poor.

[@abdulrehmanjajja1894]

In a wheat field with shorts :I

[@olliebarnes7005]

Typical Aussie farmer

[@peanutsmith1462]

Every two years mate you can’t go wrong the old timers did it remember you have to spend money to make money

[@nova1563]

Spiffy shorts, buddy!

[@piperdoug428]

Yup putting plowing and covercrops into the rotation is the new "new way" to crop.

[@manwithnoname4649]

Carbon smarbon

[@1DirtyMutt]

You can also remove the cover boards and that will leave more debris on surface to help prevent erosion.

[@adamkruskama8455]

Aussies and kiwis seem to do shorts with wooly socks and pull an boots. In field crops and especially Australia with snakes... I don’t understand the practice. You guys keep ploughing though your wheat field are big competition for me. All you soil blown away sounds like a lovey edge for my side of the pond

[@georgedoolittle7574]

the reason to plow is to bring up very valuable rocks either at or near the surface to be picked, shipped, crushed and aggregated thus creating the needed surface material to get product from farm to market in an economic manner.

[@coraliecariou2927]

P

[@donniebargo964]

How deep are you plownning to bring up subsoil. I don't understand that because in my area in North America you've got the plow 12 to 14 inches deep to bring up subsoil I only plow all about 6 to 8 inch deep for my vegetable crops . my heavy clay that is the only way I can break my soildown enough to plant

[@trira1171]

The more you plough, the more soil becomes compacted and flaky. The solution is chop & drop and make 4 inch thick organic mulch.

[@donniebargo964]

@@trira1171 I agree where I live I started moldboard plowed then never plowed agian cover crops notill with out or very little herbicides

[@Farmer2492]

I mouldboard plough and it has made a massive difference to our land the first year i though ok but the second year huge difference

[@hp2084]

Yes, the soil gets loose and hence roots penetrate faster giving you a better yield.

[@trira1171]

@@hp2084 And when rain comes, all that loose soil will wash away...

[@robertpayne2717]

I used to plow rice stubble in immediately after harvest it was an alternative to burning the stubble later in the winter, or fighting it in the spring with a disk. Rice stubble rollers came along and alot of farmers are using them to manage rice stubble residue

[@heatmoon]

Mold boarding is a once in a great while activity. It's slow, doesn't work I rocks and plow pan. We used moldboard when taking pasture out. When you plow top side organic matter under it ribs the soil of the good organic root matter. Just not a great thing to do.