Method and apparatus for farming row crops

An agricultural implement for plowing soil comprising:

• a carriage assembly having supporting wheels for traversing the surface of the soil to be plowed;
• a shaft journalled for rotation in the carriage assembly about a substantially horizontal axis positioned above the surface of the soil and extending parallel to the rotational axis of the supporting wheels;
• a plurality of rotatable soil working plows secured to the shaft, each plow including a cylindrical rim and an array of soil digging teeth secured thereto, each tooth having an inclined face slanting away from the direction of rotation of the tooth and converging to form a cutting edge which is canted at an oblique angle with respect to the line of travel of the implement;
• the teeth of each plow in an adjacent pair of plows being oppositely canted with respect to each other for lifting and laterally displacing soil toward or away from the common centerline of travel of the adjacent pair for producing an elevated row or a furrow, respectively;
• and,
• a deflector shield secured to the carriage assembly in radially spaced, bounding relation with respect to the plows, the deflector shield including a hollow, substantially semi-cylindrical body member disposed immediately behind the soil working plows, the body member having laterally spaced, circumferentially projecting shield plates which are aligned with the common centerline of travel of an adjacent pair of furrow producing plows, and each space intermediate the shield plates being aligned with the common centerline of travel of an adjacent pair of row producing plows.

A method of cultivating soil to produce a row crop comprising the steps:

• (a) comminuting the soil to a first predetermined depth in furrows which are laterally spaced apart from one another by a distance corresponding to the desired width of elevated seedbed rows;
• (b) lifting and turning the comminuted soil in each furrow away from the centerline of the furrow and onto the unplowed seedbed strip lying intermediate adjacent furrows to form elevated seedbeds of comminuted soil;
• (c) comminuting the soil in the laterally spaced furrows produced by step (a) to a second predetermined depth;
• (d) lifting and turning the comminuted soil produced in each furrow by step (c) away from the centerline of the furrow and onto the adjacent elevated seedbed rows of comminuted soil produced by step (b);
• and,
• (e) distributing a chemical cultivating agent onto the surface of the comminuted soil of the elevated seedbed rows prior to or during the performance of step (d).

A method of cultivating the soil of a field from which a row crop planted in elevated seedbed rows having furrows formed intermediate the elevated rows has been previously harvested, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) shredding the plant growth remaining after the row crop is harvested and displacing at least some of the shredded residue into the furrows;
• (b) comminuting the soil and any remaining plant residue in the elevated seedbed rows;
• and,
• (c) displacing the comminuted soil and shredded plant residue from adjacent pairs of rows into the common furrow lying intermediate the adjacent rows thereby forming new elevated seedbed rows characterized by a composite mixture of comminuted soil and shredded plant residue from adjacent pairs of rows overlying a layer of shredded plant residue, the new elevated seedbed rows having the same centerlines as the furrows of the harvested crop, and thereby providing new furrows on either side of the new elevated seedbed rows having the same centerline as the elevated seedbed rows of the harvested crop.

A method for sequentially producing two row crops comprising the steps:

• (a) planting the first crop in elevated seedbed rows having furrows formed intermediate the elevated rows;
• (b) harvesting the first row crop;
• (c) shredding the plant growth remaining after the first crop is harvested;
• (d) comminuting the soil in the elevated seedbed rows;
• (e) displacing the comminuted soil and shredded plant residue from adjacent pairs of rows laterally into the common furrow lying intermediate the adjacent rows thereby forming elevated seedbed rows characterized by a composite mixture of comminuted soil and plant residue from adjacent pairs of rows and having the same centerlines as the furrows of the first crop, and thereby providing furrows on either side of the elevated seedbed rows formed for the second crop having the same centerline as the elevated seedbed rows of the first crop;
• and,
• (f) planting the second row crop in the elevated seedbed rows formed by the performance of step (e).

A method for constructing alternate seedbed rows and furrows over a field by tilling the field with an agricultural implement of the type characterized by

• a carriage assembly having supporting wheels for traversing the surface of the soil to be plowed;
• a shaft mounted on the carriage assembly for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis relative to the surface of the soil and extending parallel to the rotational axis of the supporting wheels;
• and
• a pair of plowing tools mounted in lateral relation to each other on said shaft, each plowing tool having a rim and an array of soil digging teeth secured to the rim and each tooth having a soil displacing face sloping away from the direction of rotation of the rim and an opposite face, the soil displacing face converging at the distal end of the tooth with the opposite face to define a cutting edge which is canted with respect to the line of travel of the carriage assembly;
• said method comprising the steps:
• (a) traversing the field with said agricultural implement while comminuting the soil with the soil digging teeth to the desired depth of the furrows in a longitudinal row strip;
• (b) lifting and turning the comminuted soil with the soil displacing faces of the teeth laterally toward the centerline of the row strip and away from the edges of the row strip thereby defining an elevated row of comminuted soil disposed between parallel furrows;
• and
• (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) over adjacent strips of the field, the furrows of adjacent row strips being formed along a common lateral boundary line.

A method of cultivating the soil of a field from which a row crop planted in elevated seedbed rows having furrows formed intermediate the elevated rows has been previously harvested, the method comprising the steps:

• (a) shredding the plant growth remaining after the row crop is harvested and displacing at least some of the shredded residue into the furrows;
• (b) comminuting the soil and any remaining plant residue in the elevated seedbed rows to a first predetermined depth;
• (c) lifting and turning the comminuted soil and shredded plant residue produced by step (b) from adjacent pairs of rows into the common furrow lying intermediate the adjacent rows thereby forming new elevated seedbed rows characterized by a composite mixture of comminuted soil and shredded plant residue from adjacent pairs of rows overlying a layer of shredded plant residue, the new elevated seedbed rows having the same centerlines as the furrows of the harvested crop, and thereby providing new furrows on either side of the new elevated seedbed rows having the same centerline as the elevated seedbed rows of the harvested crop;
• (d) comminuting the soil in the new furrows produced by step (c) to a second predetermined depth;
• (e) lifting and turning the comminuted soil produced by step (d) away from the centerline of the furrow and onto the adjacent elevated seedbed rows of comminuted soil produced by step (c);
• and,
• (f) distributing a chemical cultivating agent into the layer of comminuted soil produced by step (e) as the comminuted soil is displaced onto the elevated seedbed rows produced by step (c).

An agricultural implement for plowing soil comprising:

• a carriage assembly having supporting wheels for traversing the surface of the soil to be plowed;
• a shaft mounted on the carriage assembly for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis relative to the surface of the soil and extending parallel to the rotational axis of the supporting wheels;
• a pair of plowing tools mounted in lateral relation to each other on said shaft, each plowing tool having a rim and an array of soil digging teeth secured to the rim and each tooth having a soil displacing front face sloping away from the direction of rotation of the rim, the soil displacing face converging at the distal end of the tooth with a rear face to define a cutting edge which is canted with respect to the line of travel of the carriage assembly;
• said teeth in each array being axially and circumferentially spaced relative to each other whereby initial engagement of each tooth with the soil responsive to rotation of said shaft occurs succesively and not simultaneously in relation to the initial engagement of other teeth of the array;
• and
• the cutting angle of the teeth in the laterally adjacent plowing tools being oppositely directed with respect to each other whereby the teeth of the laterally adjacent pair of plowing tools cooperate to comminute, lift and displace soil laterally either toward or away from the common center line of travel of the adjacent pair of tools for producing an elevated row or furrow, respectively.

A method for constructing alternate seedbed rows and furrows over a field comprising the steps:

• (a) comminuting the soil to the desired depth of the furrows in a longitudinal row strip;
• (b) lifting and turning the comminuted soil laterally toward the centerline of the row strip and away from the edges of the row strip thereby defining an elevated row of comminuted soil disposed between parallel furrows;
• (c) rolling the furrows as the elevated rows are formed;
• and,
• (d) repeating steps (a), (b) and (c) over adjacent strips of the field, the furrows of adjacent row strips being formed along a common lateral boundary line.