Cultivator deflector apparatus and methods of making and using same

A deflector plate arrangement for a multi-row agricultural field cultivator for row crops of the type having at least one cultivator shovel sized and configured to penetrate the soil adjacent a crop row with consequent upward flying movement of soil as the cultivator moves along the crop row during cultivating operations, said deflector plate arrangement comprising:

• a substantially flat soil deflector plate,
• and deflector plate attachment structure for attaching the deflector plate in a substantially horizontal position to cultivator structure at a position above the local ground surface level adjacent the cultivator shovel so that the deflector plate downward deflects flying soil thrown up by the cultivator shovel during cultivating operations to facilitate increased cultivator operating speeds with minimal crop damage caused by the flying soil at the increased cultivator operating speeds,
• wherein said deflector plate and deflector plate attachment structure are configured and disposed with respect to one another such that, when the deflector plate is in an in-use position, the deflector plate extends in a forward travel direction of the cultivator from a front-end position spaced a first distance forwardly of a forward most end of the cultivator shovel to a rear-end position spaced a second distance rearward of a rearward most end of the cultivator shovel, said second distance being substantially greater than said first distance.