FX – 39’ 9-Bar Harrow Tests

FIELD #1 RESIDUE TESTS

Corn Stalks were shredded from combine and chopped in the fall.
No-Till soybeans were planted with a Kinze planter.
Residue was 92% before planting.
Residue after planting was 74%. (Shown on the right side of the picture)
The field was then harrowed diagonally one pass with a Pepin 9-bar harrow with the teeth set to the least aggressive position.
Residue after planting was back up to 90%! (Shown on the left side of the picture)
PLANT POPULATION TESTS ON FIELD #2

Drilled in No-Till soybeans with a Great Plains drill.
½ of the field was harrowed diagonally one pass with a Pepin 9-Bar harrow with the teeth set to the least aggressive position.
½ of the field was not harrowed.
Soybean plant population tests were done with the farmer and a UW Extension Agent on August 4, 1993 using “Field Crops 27.424” publication from the University of Wisconsin from June 1993.
Results showed that the harrowed ½ of the field averaged 28 plants per 36” hoop, equaling 170,000 plants per acre.
The ½ of the field that was not harrowed averaged 19 plants per 36” hoop, equaling 115,000 plants per acre.

THIS IS APPROXIMATELY A 48% INCREASE IN PLANT POPULATION, SOLELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO HARROWING ONCE WITH A PEPIN 9-BAR HARROW!!