Horticultural Crops
Introduction
The economics of weed management are strikingly different in “high-value crops”
than they are in larger fields of soybeans or grain. With gross income of more
than $1,000 per acre, some tools make sense for vegetables or fruit that don’t
in a 200-acre corn field grossing less than half that much.
Yet costs are “high-value,” too. Growers often need virtually weed-free fields
for efficient harvesting. Weeds missed at early stages may cost $600 to $2,000
per acre to hand-weed later. Several aspects of vegetable systems favor cultivation:
Tools
for shallow cultivation in clean fields are lighter and less expensive
than those that have to handle residue or move more soil.
Irrigation
allows “pre-watering” that sprouts surface weed seeds so they
can be flame weeded or cultivated. This is a popular application
of the “stale seed bed” technique. Tractor passes for reforming
irrigation furrows or to use “crust busters” (rolling basket harrows
run between rows) provide a cultivation opportunity without added
tractor time.
Well-made
raised beds (to improve row drainage), with uniform shape and
straight alignment, can be the cornerstone for efficient planting
and cultivating passes. Bed sleds and cone guide wheels provide
accurate guidance for planters and cultivators simply by hugging
the bed sides. They are inexpensive to buy and operate.
Intensive crop rotations make herbicide use more troublesome in vegetable crops
than in field crops. But that same complexity can be daunting to a grower investigating
greater reliance on mechanical weed control. The grower may need to buy several
unfamiliar implements, then learn how to operate, maintain, calibrate and adjust
them to suit variable field conditions and plant sizes. To be effective, all
the tools have to run “in synch,” with some quite close to the row.
Once weed prevention steps begin to reduce weed pressure, basic vegetable implements
can quickly pay their way in reduced labor costs. To get the most from these
weed-fighters
Simplify
row spacing and bed width to minimize adjustments.
Make
sure each crop’s income covers its need for specialized weed-control
steps.
Select
tools you can alter to work at many depths, widths or crop sizes.
Visit
farmers to see how they create or adapt tools to kill more weeds
with fewer trips.
In-the-row tools work well in loose, fairly dry soil without large clods or
rocks. When used effectively, they can pre-empt tedious in-row hand weeding.
Keep in mind the speed and residue limitations of these tools.
Specialized tractors for cultivating were made through the ’70s. They had offset
seats and engines to improve the operator’s view of the center row,
and usually had higher clearance. “Cultivator tractors” like the
Allis G have a rear-mount engine and an open front frame design.
See the Appendix for locator lists.
Also used in vegetable fields and orchards are “broadcast tillage”
tools such as harrows and rotary hoes (see Section
I), and the disk harrow and field cultivator, presented in Section
III.
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