Moldboard Plows

From Ag PhD Episode #1242 for the week of 1-23-22. In our Farm Basics Brian and Darren remember the popularity of the old moldboard plow and how you may still use it on your farm today.

[@davidcolgan3268]

Very interesting. I was one of the last full time plow engineers for John Deere and was responsible for introducing the 2810 and 3710 (like in your video) in 1987.

[@RJ1999x]

You should have been fired. I owned one of those and they were horrible. The tail wheel steering was fine when it worked, but the tail wheel itself on a 6 bottom blow was a constant source of failure, and true to John Deere you didn't have a standard cylinder, so when the tail wheel failed and wrecked the cylinder it was $800 in parts to repair a $100 cylinder had you used standard. White was by far a better plow then the Deere

[@RJ1999x]

Another interesting thing to mention on the Deere, was the "heavy castings" used on the plow. Looks impressive until they break and you find out that the casting is actually hollow and thin. Designed as a fraud to the buyer to make it look like a big heavy machine, when indeed it was nothing close

[@ShermanT.Potter]

@@RJ1999x What did you think of the F-145A?

[@RJ1999x]

@@ShermanT.Potter Wasn't a bad plow but no clearance

[@dvdosterloh]

@@RJ1999x Buy a White, ran F145's for close to 30 years and my dad before me. In fact he had a 4010 and a five 14's fully mounted, what a beast. Anyway, went to a white, best thing I ever did. I'm certified organic and I plow about 70 acres of alfalfa sod every year, makes great corn!

[@timothywest1183]

My dad used it a lot. We had a dairy so we would spread a lot of manure from the cows that had accumulated over the winter, then we would use the moldboard on the fields, then a regular disc plow to level It, then plant. We lived on the Easter plains of Colorado which had very Sandy soil with a dearth of available nutrients so you had to try to add as much as possible each year. Now eastern Colorado is an arid plain, so we didn’t have to worry a lot about erosion as it didn’t rain a lot out there. Enough to hopefully get your crops in and growing.

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren addressed your comments on Ag PhD Radio: on.soundcloud.com/J7Ami

[@chrismorris308]

As far back as I can remember my Great Grandpa (about the 3rd wk of March) would say I believe a man could plow now!

[@nathanalmond8280]

Still a good tool when needed. I like to turn land once every 6-7 years.

[@jeffandjanebelstra182]

We stopped plowing over thirty yrs ago Went to chiseling and the last 15yrs we have been zone tillage. Then found another use for the moldboard plow filling back in erosion ditchs as though they were dead furrow. By the way my son bought your JD disk and as we were repairing some cracks in the frame we kept the dirt that was in it not knowing with the price of land you might want it back.

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren addressed your comments on Ag PhD Radio: on.soundcloud.com/3SMhLfoq8BVbHqXy8

[@danw6014]

Cocklebur. If you want to moldboard plow a field and don't have a plow anymore, have your neighbors do it by hosting a plow day. You'll have 100 antique tractors working away.

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren read your comments on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/01-28-22-farmer-friday?si=cf9f33a5f946450f9f3ba4d993e25b67&#t=43:44

[@RJ1999x]

No don't do that, and I'll tell you why. The 100 tractors that show will have 5 plows set correctly and plowing at the proper depth, the other 95 are making a mess it takes years to correct

[@nelsonchandler1015]

plowed many acres back in the 1980 s here in georgia miss those days

[@tomshull-wb2bb]

Remember it, I use mine every spring.

[@anteculo3046]

In Europe, molboard plowing is most common operation…

[@henryvasquez859]

Keep up the great work fellas God bless

[@nerd1636]

Awww 😍, I like this video!❤️

[@karlrovey]

Moldboard plows are also used to maintain field terraces.

[@markhayes9114]

Yeah it's a thing of the past, due to a variety of reasons but I miss it and deere made the best plows hands down!

[@RJ1999x]

Deere plows we're garbage. White made the best plow by far

[@ShermanT.Potter]

In some soils, you may be required to use a moldboard plow every year. But from someone who used to be certified organic and saw the effects of tilling ground into oblivion to have weed control (10+passes/year possibly moldboard plowing, disk/field cultivator, rotary hoe, and row cultivator), please only do it if it's necessary. It obliterates soil structure, and drastically increases the chance of erosion. Every time you see dust fly, that's dollar bills of fertility flying away. Only thing I would consider plowing for now is to combat nutrient stratification, and even then I'd hate to do it, I still remember how soft the ground was after I plowed. It was like walking on pillows, it had no integrity left.

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren addressed your comments on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/06-10-22-farmer-friday?#t=57:08

[@brendengood482]

For nutrient stratification, Curse Buster tillage is an option in my mind...

[@AgPhD]

@@brendengood482 Darren addressed your comment on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/09-08-22-increasing-winter-survival-in-winter-wheat?si=2d15b05748224b679de38d5a4ce9d600&#t=50%3A10

[@user-hn7my8ow4s]

That's why you have to create a seedbed with following operations. My father farmed dryland small grains in eastern Colorado for 43 years primarily with a one-way plow and rod-weeder and a grain drill. Generally, his crops were excellent and the soil remained heathy, fertile and full of tilth.

[@dschefers9700]

About 10 years ago we rolled over 10 acres for a trial against ripping. Found a 10bu jump. Also one of your negatives you mentioned is mineralization of organic material. Aren’t many of the newer corn heads and vertical tillage tools trying to accomplish this?

[@adamfpv8294]

How deep did you rip? How wide were your points?

[@dschefers9700]

@@adamfpv8294 18” with a Jd laser cut. 7” wide.

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren read your comments on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/01-28-22-farmer-friday?si=cf9f33a5f946450f9f3ba4d993e25b67&#t=41:56

[@deere7227]

Did the extra 10bu cover the extra cost of 2 or 3 passes of tillage to make a seed bed?

[@dschefers9700]

@@deere7227 not sure what your expectations of plowing is, but I take pride in what happens on are farm. We plowed it, followed with a a pass with a disc. Planting followed. So $10 beans multipled by 10 bushel is a money maker. We don’t plow much, but a neighbor taked it so we tried.

[@maheramhaz]

Using pesticides may leaves residues I water table personally I would rather use the Moldboard plow than contaminating water table . Beside whe plowing previous crop we increase the organic contents of our soil and improve water holding capacity on the other hand using no till safe using diesel

[@brianjonker510]

This is very funny. Thumbs up

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren addressed your comments on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/01-27-22-plant-health?si=0b285787eb584dd6afa6c85bb4175272&#t=4:12

[@zeusmacafee5097]

This a joke right? Tillage definitely doesn’t increase organic matter but rather burns it quicker

[@maheramhaz]

When you plow under plant residues you are increasing the O.M. Through decomposition of plant parts.

[@zeusmacafee5097]

@@maheramhaz no, not at all😂. Completely the opposite. There’s a difference between breaking down material and increasing om

[@farmerdave286]

We use a different type of plow- straight shank chisel plow on every acre, every year. 11 shank Willcox

[@richardgraham2180]

Go back to plows and stay away from sprays and use cultivators instead

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren addressed your comment on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/02-03-22-drain-tile?si=83591d5595914293b4b7e951f868f98f&#t=51:52

[@ShermanT.Potter]

I used to be certified organic and raised corn and soybeans. Do you know how many passes it takes? Possibly a pass with a moldboard plow, predominantly to bury weed seeds in my case, while utterly destroying soil structure. 3-4 passes with a disk or field cultivator before planting to germinate and kill as many weed seeds as possible, possibly making a hardpan. 2 passes with the rotary hoe, once before and once after crop emergence. And 3-7 passes with a row cultivator. When I ran a tile line through the fenceline I saw how much blacker the fenceline soil was. Every time you see dust fly, you are losing topsoil that took 1000's of years to make. If you plow every year, I can almost guarantee you in a couple thousand years you'll have a desert. I might consider plowing now to combat nutrient stratification, that's about it.

[@user-hn7my8ow4s]

Amen!

[@user-hn7my8ow4s]

WOW! You are over-farming the land if that's your strategy. Don't even consider moldboard plowing the land until it is covered in pioneer plants.@@ShermanT.Potter

[@dominikpiskoric9649]

We plow all of ours 40 hectars of corn on corn ground every year

[@jimmystrain883]

You need to turn your land every 3 or 4 years

[@deere7227]

Why? No scientific reason

[@RJ1999x]

@@deere7227 Try and you wouldn't make that comment

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren addressed your comment on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/02-03-22-drain-tile?si=83591d5595914293b4b7e951f868f98f&#t=51:49

[@peterj.gregory8700]

Cool.

[@rickk6447]

AgPhd, I have a question, I Love Theology and I've always questioned why farmers haven't tried this before. It's growing crops for 6 years, then on the 7th year, leave the fields bare and no crops? Have you ever tried it? I'd love to know what ya think. Sincerely submitted, Rick

[@maheramhaz]

Usually farmers in my area they plant the plot with a winter crop then keep it bare for the next year so they can plant a summer crop usually to give a chance for the plot to replenish it’s nutrient content. Depending on the crop you plant , some plants deplete soil nutrient content ( i.e. potato) some farmers they keep bare for one season some will plant it with a crop that do not deplete the soil (I.e.. wheat, barley).

[@rickk6447]

@@maheramhaz Maher, I didn’t even think about crops like winter wheat and such. I know what the Bible says, God wouldn’t I sore someone to write in the Bible about the 6 years of planting, then one sabbatical year, getting more crop in the 6yrs and not working a crop in that 7th year. I’m surprised that more farmers don’t use it. I doubt if it’s really ever been studied at Universities. But it makes sense now. I believe every Farmer believes by God’s grace we get crops from his blessings. I believe we all need to look at that, it may produce more yields.

[@deere7227]

Have you tried working for 6 years then taken one off without income?

[@canefarmerbrock]

We do this in sugar cane in Australia to reduce root knot nematodes and other diseases. The ground definitely benefits from the break of crop production.

[@brendengood482]

A diverse crop rotation should give the soil a break, maybe cover crop and not harvest after wheat?

[@ntandazosogoni6952]

When you thought you knew the topic but you actually had no idea...

[@andrewjoyner4710]

What are thoughts on using a moldboard plough to incorporate lime into soil?

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren addressed your question on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/09-29-22-fertilizer-for-next-years-soybeans?si=6d0f6d36b4524496afecf1c072ffb651&#t=51%3A06

[@glennienhaus6030]

That’s the way to go … don’t have to use the chemicals we use today

[@adamalfredsson373]

Mouldboard prowling is still rather common in Europe

[@PrestigeWorldWidePWW]

Because you lack pesticides because it's banned there.

[@adamalfredsson373]

@@PrestigeWorldWidePWW there are actually farmers who don’t mouldboard plow but do other types of tillage instead

[@Adam-bw4lw]

Im actualy trying to move away from mouldboard plowing,so many feilds got blowen out its not even funny

[@adamalfredsson373]

@@Adam-bw4lw that is so true it’s not even funny

[@adamfpv8294]

Interesting…

[@hlsltd3691]

We have 800 acres in organic production you have to moldboard plow that ground in order to control weeds we have tried it with a Disk ripper Disastrous

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren addressed your comment on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/02-02-22-tips-from-top-growers?si=83591d5595914293b4b7e951f868f98f&#t=7:01

[@brendengood482]

Interesting, a few farmers are working on organic notill, it's a lot of management and work I believe!!!

[@mikegerich1993]

Do you men actually farm ,or are you chemical salesman?

[@RJ1999x]

Look up their business, they sell chemicals

[@user-hn7my8ow4s]

LOL Of course they are chemical salesmen. "Agri-business" is what they've been calling it since the 1970s when the petrochemical companies took over the universities.

[@farmshoffman8475]

We still mouldboard plowing our land . We can’t no till on our white clay

[@AgPhD]

Brian and Darren read your comment on Ag PhD Radio: soundcloud.com/agphd/02-02-22-tips-from-top-growers?si=83591d5595914293b4b7e951f868f98f&#t=7:01

[@scottpage4877]

It's perty

[@jwiereng]

Plow or plough

[@theogootjes3380]

Depends if you live in North America ore great Britain 🤣