Plow Replaces Moldboard With Rollers

Plow Replaces Moldboard With Rollers TILLAGE EUIPMENT Plows 29-4-20 The Peterson brothers at Jarvie, Alta. designed and built a 30-in. wide peat subsoil plow that can cut as deep as 7 ft. The unit works best, however, when reclaiming peat ground that is less than 4 ft. deep, according to Don Peterson. The plow brings a deep layer of clay soil to the surface. Thanks to this unique rig, brothers Wayne, Len, Ervin, and Don, have vastly improved production on the peat areas of their fields that would otherwise freeze. "Crops germinate later on peat and freeze while crops on other land won't," Don says, adding that if you bring the clay soil up from under the peat, the soil stays warmer and still contains the minerals for a good crop. The plow uses a series of nine, 8-in. steel rollers with bearings, instead of a moldboard to reduce the resistance of the clay, which is very sticky. These rollers, in combination with a layer of UHMW plastic that's bolted onto the plow shear, ensure that the clay will scour and flow smoothly. The Petersons use the massive implement to bring up 1 ft. of clay to the surface. The plow requires at least 400 hp of pulling capacity. Depth is controlled by a telescoping square tube with a hydraulic cylinder inside. To avoid having a huge dead furrow, the plow is used in conjunction with a special dozer on front of the tractor. On the way back down the field, the dozer fills the furrow that was just made on the way up. "We're very happy with its performance and think it was a worthwhile investment," Don says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Peterson, 10604 û 109 Ave., Westlock, Alta., Canada T7P 1C1 (ph 780 349-7126).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.