Do not remove so much that the seed is planted in a ditch. The top of the ridge should be about 3 inches higher than the row middles. However, the seed must be planted in moist soil, so in extremely dry springs, more soil may be scraped off the ridge. Select a soybean variety that is bushy and disease resistant. Seeding rate should be the same as for conventional planting.
Many farmers cultivate twice a year after the ridges are established.
In the first cultivation, disk hillers will likely move soil away from the row. Typically a wide sweep or horizontal disk cultivates the row middles. If you set the disk hillers too close to the crop, there is always the danger of wiping out many plants. An automatic guidance system may not only eliminate this problem, but may reduce operator fatigue. The soil profile, after the first cultivation, may be fairly flat.