Patent ID: 8020629

Claim:
A minimal tillage agricultural implement, comprising: a frame having a hitch for attachment to a vehicle, the hitch being pivotally coupled to the frame with a linear adjustment mechanism pivotally attached to both the hitch and the frame; and a closely coupled tillage unit, comprising: a plurality of ultra-shallow disk blade gangs coupled to the frame rearwardly of the hitch, the ultra-shallow disk blade gangs having a plurality of ultra-shallow disk blades wherein the blades are aligned from about 5 degrees to about 13 degrees from parallel to the implement's direction of travel; at least two transversely spaced wheels adjustably coupled to the frame, each wheel being respectively rearwardly adjacent to one of the ultra-shallow disk blade gangs and in close proximity to the respective ultra-shallow disk blade gang; and a plurality of coaxially aligned spiral reel assemblies coupled to the frame wherein at least one such spiral reel assembly is positioned rearwardly adjacent to at least one of the wheels and in close proximity to the at least one of the wheels; wherein the ultra-shallow disk blades have a depression depth, a diameter, and a ratio of diameter to depression depth from about 23:1 to about 36:1; and wherein the ultra-shallow disk blades have a depression depth of about 20 inches; and wherein the frame extends rearwardly from the hitch and is capable of being pulled by the vehicle and hitch in a direction of travel; and wherein the spiral reel assemblies are coupled to the frame with their axles substantially perpendicular to the implement's direction of travel; and wherein the depth to which the ultra-shallow disk blades and the spiral reels penetrate the ground is selected by adjustment of the linear adjustment mechanism; and wherein the ultra-shallow disk blade gangs and the spiral reel assemblies of the closely coupled tillage unit may be maintained at substantially the selected depth during minimal tillage operations.