Patent ID: 8307908
Filing Date: 2012-11-13
Classification: A01B,Y02A

Abstract:
1. A method of conservation tillage comprising: providing a conservation tillage apparatus on a field comprising soil and having crop residue thereon; providing the conservation tillage apparatus with a frame having four or more rows of laterally spaced apart coulter wheel assemblies, each coulter wheel assembly comprising a resilient element and related structure to permit upward deflection of the coulter wheel in response to impact with an obstacle; individually mounting the coulter wheel assemblies to the frame such that the coulter wheel assemblies in a given row are staggered with respect to the coulter wheel assemblies in a longitudinally adjacent row; prior to planting and while the field is wet, operating the conservation tillage apparatus on the field in order to cut the crop residue and/or aerate the soil, thereby allowing the soil to dry; spacing the coulter wheel assemblies apart laterally by an amount that is sufficient to reduce plugging of wet soil and/or wet crop residue between the coulter wheel assemblies; selecting an operational depth that is sufficient to aerate the soil for planting from a range of from 1″ to 4″; and, wherein the method results in an earlier planting date for the field than would be obtained without use of the method, and wherein the method results in a yield improvement when grain crops are planted in the field.