Growing Skills - Reversible Ploughing

Dear Reader

Spring is on its way and March is the perfect month to talk about field preparation. Ploughing is still a very efficient method of turning the soil so that any weeds or crop residues are buried. When used it is the basic starting point for good crop production. Reversible ploughing is the most efficient type of ploughing - saving you time and delivering consistent results which is why we've devoted this issue of Growing Skills to it.

If you'd like to find out about our reversible ploughing course running on 22nd and 23rd March, or any of our other courses, click here.

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Best wishes

James

Reversible Ploughing

The reversible plough has two mouldboard ploughs mounted back to back, one turning to the left and the other to the right. The tractor's hydraulics effectively turns them over at the end of the furrow to ensure that whilst one is working on the land, the other is carried in the air. The result is that as you turn into the next furrow the appropriate mouldboard plough works the land enabling you to simply drive backwards and forwards in a consistent direction until the field is finished.

The reversible plough is particularly useful for fields which need to be kept flat, for instance for irrigation purposes, as the soil can consistently be deposited on the same side leaving no opening crowns or closing furrows. It is also important to remember that the soil should be turned in different directions annually - one way one year and the opposite way the next.

On sloping fields where contour ploughing is practised the reversible plough can also be extremely valuable. Unlike the process for flat fields, it is normally preferable to turn the soil uphill every year to counteract the natural downhill slippage and any tendency for soil erosion. However, on very slight slopes it may be advisable to throw the soil downhill once every two to three years, depending on the field.

Contour Ploughing

When field borders and contours are parallel you probably won't need to mark out the field as ploughing starts along the direction of the border and works consistently across to the other boundary. In an irregular field however, where the contours are not parallel marking is advisable before you start. Marking involves planning, measuring and the help of another person. Usually in an irregular field the middle point of the shortest distance between the borders should be marked off, and the plough should scratch a mark parallel to the lower contour to form the second strip. If this all seems a bit complex within the context of this newsletter, click here to find out more about our Reversible Ploughing course running at the end of March, which comprehensively covers the practise of field marking.

The really great thing about reversible ploughing is that you can start at one end of the field and keep going until you reach the other end - resulting in an evenly turned over field achieved in good time and ready for when you want to sow your crop. Although it may seem complex it really is quite straight forward and the most efficient way to prepare your fields for crop use.

If you'd like to find out more about it why not come along to our Reversible Ploughing course on 22nd and 23rd March 2011 - Take a look below to see what it covers.

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If you would like to find out more about our courses click here to go to the website and view the comprehensive list of programmes, call James Foster on 01285 889873 or email him here.