Rotary Hoe on Organic Soybeans 2020

The complete guide and discussion for rotary hoe usage on organic soybeans. This pass has been delayed slightly due to heat and emergence issues. Regardless, the hoe is working properly, and we discuss the factors I am thinking about while hoeing in two different soil types!

[@lifebehindacow5999]

I'm glad you're doing these videos it gives a perspective on a very different kind of farming.

[@GeigerFarm]

Thanks! I saw your last comment, but it would not post/allow me to reply :(. As a lifelong farmer/cattleman, I do enjoy looking at different geographical areas and types of farming! I must admit that I enjoy my cows more than row-cropping though ;). I love your avatar and channel name. The point of this channel is to show how a modern organic farm is operated AND how to make a living on the farm (without inheriting all of it...). Now, there are channels on youtube of new organic farmers using auto-steer to cultivate/till!! I guess I am old school now ;). Regardless, the basic techniques and approaches are timeless.

[@FarmallFanatic]

Amazed at organic farming

[@GeigerFarm]

Farmall Fanatic When you’re proficient, it works! Thanks 😊

[@farmboydavid7596]

Thanks Jack for the continuous education on organic practices! As we’ve discussed before, we’ll run a rotary hoe on our non-gmo crops, but for crusting issues on heavy ground, not for weed control per say.

[@GeigerFarm]

+1 :)

[@andylieffring3987]

Jack is the rotary hoe pass an automatic or an as needed basis? And is down pressure what dictates whether or not you tear out beans or simply the angle you have the machine set at? Like cultivating , it seems to be a lost art form.

[@GeigerFarm]

Andy, you can change down pressure slightly by changing the angle of the three point hitch. The hoe will only primarily kill shallow beans in the hook stage. I am not worried about killing beans. I am worried about excessive compaction and trips across the field. When you have emergence issues AND dry weather, the hoe is a good choice! Thanks for watching and commenting. Hope you/your family are staying healthy and sane in these times of craziness!

[@IDoAgri]

Is a rotary how the same as a power harrow?

[@GeigerFarm]

Similar principle...shallow tillage, but acting by different mechanism :) A rotary hoe is just sharp spikes on a wheel which turn as you move forward in order to stir the top 1.5 inch of soil, thus killing small weeds!

[@AgWildNebraska]

That's weird. I didn't delete it but at least you got to read it first.

[@GeigerFarm]

Ag Wild There’s a lot of weird right now 😉😳

[@JohnPawseySPF]

Great video! Do you use a rotary hoe rather that a harrow comb weeder because it is better with crop residues that the harrow?

[@GeigerFarm]

Good question John! So the main reason is probably because these machines were/are common in our area :). As you can see in my previous video on severe seedbed prep, I do work with a lot of residue occasionally. The rotary hoe will handle quite a bit of residue. The more residue that you have, the closer you have to watch the hoe, as it can "plug" and the spiders stop turning. The hoe does work well with my ridges from planting as it tends to push them down into the row pre-cultivation. I am intrigued by the Treffler harrow and will at some point purchase one for various operations, including pasture harrowing!

[@JohnPawseySPF]

@@GeigerFarm I am keen to try a rotary hoe as we do very little ploughing here now and are working in quite a lot of trash which bungs up in a harrow. Thank you for your videos - so much to learn!!

[@dehavenfamilyfarm]

That does a nice job! Are there any other tools you could use that wouldn't pick up trash/debris that's in the field?

[@GeigerFarm]

Someday I would like to investigate a modern harrow, such as a treffler for this blind tillage pass! Thanks!

[@grassfeeding6073]

@@GeigerFarm Jack, we used to use an einboch tine harrow. There were times I had issues with picking up debris as well. Good tool, but a rotary hoe has it's place as well. Many times I wished we had a rotary hoe. Seemed condition dependent.

[@GeigerFarm]

grassfeeding It is condition dependent, but priceless when conditions are “right”

[@kathivy]

Interesting to see what your dealing with rotary hoeing in high residue. Always amazing to see you work so quickly through those fields with those little beans. Maybe the coyotes are big because they’ve been gobbling whatever is living down in that hole 😬

[@GeigerFarm]

My coyotes are prospering like your deer :)!!! The hole is made by a crawdad...it just shows you how wet some of my fields are ;)

[@kathivy]

Geiger Farm wow, that is wet!

[@GeigerFarm]

Katherine Ivy 😳😂

[@AaricHale]

I would be a nervous wreck thinking I would be killing some of my beans . I thought using a one row cultivator was bad . Will you take out coyotes if they start getting overpopulated ?

[@GeigerFarm]

When coyotes start killing the chickens Aaric...then we have a problem ;)

[@FarmallFanatic]

Was that turtle eggs?

[@GeigerFarm]

Farmall Fanatic THAT was a crawl dad home 😉😁

[@christinamoneyhan5688]

Hi, can you please explain to me how a rotary hoe can tear up the ground without damaging the crop. If there are spacing s for the plants I could not detect it . Thank you.

[@GeigerFarm]

Sorry it took so long to reply :(. The short answer is that the rotary hoe only disturbs the top one inch of soil. The soybeans are planted deeper than one inch. The hoe also only impacts the ground on a 3.5 by 4.5 inch grid. The individual spoons impact an area .5 by 1.5 inches. Thus, the probability of a direct impact is greatly reduced! I have rotary hoed a crop of beans when they were 4 inches tall with very little damage. Thanks for watching.

[@christinamoneyhan5688]

Thank you for the reply. No apologies nessary.

[@dennisdeville8984]

it scares me how fast your going lol....i would take out half the row

[@GeigerFarm]

Just make sure the tractor's steering mechanisms is tight/properly adjusted. Then drive as fast as you can stay on the row :)!

[@emildiaco78]

@@GeigerFarm What speed do you use?

[@GeigerFarm]

@@emildiaco78 As fast as I can go! Generally 7 to 12 mph.

[@Ernest6920]

Massey Ferguson power :)

[@GeigerFarm]

👍🏻👍🏻🙂