No disc food plots

[Radar]

Its right at 10 ft wide and uses 16 inch truck tires, packs the seed and soil tight keeping moisture and warmth around the seed to help germination.

[bgleaton]

Nice work. I would love to get a roller similar to the one you have.

[gingib]

Did you rent from a feed/grain store or an equipment place?

Feed store in town which has equipment also

[CCS2637]

Ive had mixed results depending on rainfall, however I do think they come in handy when trying to hold deer in the area

[Ironman]

What I've always wondered about the throw and mow process is, you aren't aerating the soil and not getting any vegetation into the soil in order to build it. Same goes for a no till drill. I know farmers around here will plow the field under after they have harvested the crop and after some time will drill new seed. My guess is they plow the fields under in order to address the issues I'm talking about. Just curious of everyone's thoughts on that.

[muddyz]

What I've always wondered about the throw and mow process is, you aren't aerating the soil and not getting any vegetation into the soil in order to build it. Same goes for a no till drill. I know farmers around here will plow the field under after they have harvested the crop and after some time will drill new seed. My guess is they plow the fields under in order to address the issues I'm talking about. Just curious of everyone's thoughts on that.

By tilling your are burying your organic matter and stirring up weed seeds. No till just puts the seed under the soil by cutting only the line necessary to seed in the ground.

Throw and now works for certain seed types that sprout easy like your grain crops.

[Ironman]

By tilling your are burying your organic matter and stirring up weed seeds. No till just puts the seed under the soil by cutting only the line necessary to seed in the ground.

Throw and now works for certain seed types that sprout easy like your grain crops.

I understand all of that, but you still aren't ever getting soil aeration or any organic matter into your soil. Like I stated, most farming I see, they are plowing their fields as well as using grain drills. I feel certain they do the extra plowing step for a reason, and I'm sure it's not to stir up weed seeds.

[DeadEyeB]

I understand all of that, but you still aren't ever getting soil aeration or any organic matter into your soil. Like I stated, most farming I see, they are plowing their fields as well as using grain drills. I feel certain they do the extra plowing step for a reason, and I'm sure it's not to stir up weed seeds.

they plow because the yields are better. No till takes some number of years before you can expect the same yields as a plowed field. It also requires you to have cover crops in off season. The cover crops take care of the aeration

There are lots of studies on it and long term Farmers would be better off as would the environment if they no-till farmed, but they'd suffer some seasons of lower yields and have to work a little more in the off season.

[Ironman]

they plow because the yields are better. No till takes some number of years before you can expect the same yields as a plowed field. It also requires you to have cover crops in off season. The cover crops take care of the aeration

There are lots of studies on it and long term Farmers would be better off as would the environment if they no-till farmed, but they'd suffer some seasons of lower yields and have to work a little more in the off season.

Interesting. Thanks for commenting.

[Drycreek3189]

Yield or not, I have little choice. I just can’t make myself spend 10/12K on a grain drill whenever there’s no profit in it. Discing and gly will have to do.

[Big pig]

I did poison last year, then broadcast grain seeds, then mowed it with a tractor.
I do use a lot more seed than I normally would, but it worked great.
After the first frost, the remaining live grass is a non factor and the plants have been protected from grazing by the stubble.

I’m no farmer, but I have been told the rain and moisture access the soil bed thru the dead and decaying grass/weed stems. Better than the crust that builds up on a muddy barren field and enables runoff.

I spread seed on one unpoisoned short grass and weeds field this year, then mowed. I don’t expect much, but it was a matter of lack of time to poison.

I will share some photos of both fields when I get up there again