Steel in the Field covers a broad range of tools. Original line drawings accompany technical summaries of 37 implements and 18 accessories. Each tool entry describes how it works and lists its recommended tractor horsepower, ground speed and list price. To compare the field use of dissimilar tools with a common yardstick, the book uses two graphics. One shows the size of crop where the tool is intended to work, the other the size of weeds it is designed to control.
Farmer accounts highlight tool use, management and adaptation by successful growers.
Each opens with a summary of farm location and size, cash crops, tillage style, cover crops, soil types, rainfall, basic weed-management strategies, and the implements used. Timing is emphasized repeatedly. Practices that suppress or prevent weeds are especially important on these farms. Reducing overall weed pressure makes it more likely that mechanical or flame controls can stifle weeds with lower or no herbicide use. Main factors are winter and summer cover crops, delayed planting and weed-fighting crop rotations.