Home » Issue 25-2022 » Company insights » Shallow tillage – a machine overview (Philipp Horsch)

Shallow tillage – A machine overview

Fight weeds, distribute and incorporate straw, stimulate straw rotting, crush organic matter, maintain soil moisture, create optimum germination conditions for volunteer crops and weed seeds – shallow tillage serves various purposes. Philipp Horsch and Daniel Halbmann provide a summary which machines are suitable for which objectives with regard to shallow tillage between 0 and 10 cm. In the article they concentrate on the HORSCH product lines Cultro, Cruiser, Finer, Joker and the TerraCut point.

terraHORSCH: In the past years, HORSCH was quite active in the sector of shallow tillage. Why?
Philipp Horsch:
For approx. 15 years we have been completing our cultivator range with regard to shallow tillage mainly by heavy stubble machines like the Tiger XL or the Cruiser as well as with the compact disc harrows Joker.
New main topics like weed regulation – keyword glyphosate restrictrions, working with or without a packer, machines with a working width of up to 12 m with 3-point linkage or trailed, as a 4- or 6 bar version and also even shallower tillage and crushing of harvest residues after threshing resp. a perfect seedbed preparation for extensively working farms (direct seed) urgently required various additions to our portfolio. This is where after several development loops today’s Finer and Cultro lines originated from and perfectly complete the existing range. Now there are clear and logical cultivator lines for the whole range of shallow tillage.

terraHORSCH: Let’s take a look at these lines and start with the machine that works shallowest: What are the excelling features of the Cultro TC?
Daniel Halbmann:
The Cultro TC is a double knife roller with a harrow or a packer. In our product segment it is the specialist for the (subsequent) crushing of harvest residues, e.g. quite traditionally of rape, sunflower, maize stubbles and catch crops. The knives are arranged like a cross and thus generate a maximum crushing effect. When working in the field, the whole weight of the frame rests on the roller bodies. This is extremely advantageous with regard to the crushing quality of organic matter. With speeds of up to 20 km/h and the corresponding working width it achieves a very high hectare output with a minimum horsepower requirement. If the operational speed increases, the work effect improves.
One key aspect of the Cultro TC is to crush organic matter, get volunteer crops and weed seeds in contact with earth and thus, encourage germination. In combination with the heavy harrow the Cultro also guarantees a perfect longitudinal and cross distribution of the harvest residues. The reason is that the knife roller of the Cultro can take up straw and harvest residues and remove them from the stubbles. A harrow without a front tool, that is without a knife roller, has to rely on the first rows to move the straw mat to be able to move the whole residues with the rear harrow rows.
Moreover, the Cultro is very successfully used to prepare the field for sowing with the Avatar. An extremely shallow, approx. 1 to 3 cm, mulch layer is created, capillarity is broken, and the straw rotting processes as well as the germination of weed seeds and volunteer crops is stimulated. Some time later, the Avatar sows quasi “directly“ into the solid, water-bearing horizon below the mulch layer – this works very well in particularly dry regions.

terraHORSCH: What about all-over tillage deeper than 2 cm?
Daniel Halbmann:
The Cultro is not suitable for all-over and deep tillage and for mechanical weed control. The Cultro TC is equipped with tools that work in a point and linear way and hit resp. cut. Due to the hitting intensity, it definitely has a damaging effect on volunteer crops but not all over. We have other machines in our product range, to fight volunteer crops.

terraHORSCH: What is the field of application of the Cruiser?
Philipp Horsch:
With a maximum working depth of 15 cm, the HORSCH Cruiser is a stubble specialist. It is ideal for stubble cultivation after threshing. The excellent levelling effect guarantees an even field and perfectly distributed harvest residues – the optimum preparation for everything what has to be carried out until sowing. Seedbed preparation or mechanical weed management as a fine cultivator and the loosening of the soils in spring complete the field of application.

Daniel Halbmann: But there are different Cruiser versions: There is a 4-bar Cruiser SL as well as the trailed version Cruiser XL with a 6-bar design.
The Cruiser SL with its 4-bar design and a 3-point linkage is somewhat lighter. It is the compact, easy to handle alternative for a universal, shallow stubble cultivation, weed regulation and seedbed preparation. Because of the 4-bar design, there are of course limits with regard to the clearance in the first stubble cultivation pass – the combine should leave a really clean field behind.
The 6-bar Cruiser XL is the absolute pro with regard to mixing, distributing and especially levelling in the first pass after the combine. The high clearance of 700 mm at the tine shank allows for high amounts of harvest residues and the machine can be equipped with all four coulter versions.
If the focus for stubble cultivation is on straw distribution and levelling, you cannot get around the Cruiser. At least if you want to work with only one cultivator after the harvest. Due to its long design levelling is another asset of the Cruiser.

In my opinion, consolidation is part of a good stubble cultivation machine. This requires a proper roller to stimulate the germination of the volunteer crops. For this task, too, we offer the perfect packer versions for deep as well as for shallow consolidation. Moreover, the packer selection depends on the respective type of soil. The point range of the Cruiser also has been designed for stubble breaking. There are four different coulter versions:

  • HM point, 5 cm wide, working depth up to 15 cm – ideal for seedbed preparation and for aerating the soil in spring
  • HM point, 8 cm wide, working depth up to 10 cm – ideal for stubble breaking, straw distribution and incorporation
  • HM point, 10 cm wide, maximum working depth 10 cm – also suitable for stubble and seedbed preparation on very light soils, perfect straw distribution and mixing of organic matter
  • Duck foot point for shallow mechanical weed management and all-over cutting starting at a working depth of 2 cm.

terraHORSCH: What are the differences between SL and XL?
Daniel Halbmann:
If you want to cut in a very shallow and all-over way, the Cruiser XL is rather too long. You need a shorter machine with a good depth control in the front and at the rear. Due to the shorter design the Cruiser SL is better at this than the XL. Mechanical weed management is rather a borderline area for the Cruiser because of the standard consolidation (the packer is required for depth control) and the overall length. This is where the Finer SL comes in.

terraHORSCH: So the Finer SL is the specialist for mechanical weed control?
Daniel Halbmann:
Exactly. The Finer SL is the perfect machine for mechanical weed control – this is what is has been designed for and what it is best at. On the one hand, due to the solid frame design, but particularly due to the compact, 4-bar tine section, a short design and the perfect depth control in the front and at the rear of the frame. Moreover, you can use it without the roller. A very special feature is that the working depth and the aggressiveness of the 2-bar harrow can be adjusted hydraulically while driving. Thus, you can adjust the harrow – depending on the amount of straw – while driving and adapt it to the conditions. You do not have to get off the tractor, readjust everything and then continue working.
The tines are also ideal for heavy conditions and allow for an all-over cutting. In heavy conditions resp. hard soils the tines can be equipped additionally with a double spring. Thus, the rebound force can be doubled. You can counter the soil resistance and achieve a good cutting angle. This way, you can work shallowly.

terraHORSCH: What are its other excelling features?
Daniel Halbmann:
In spring, due to its low weight the 3-point machine is ideal to break open the fields or to cultivate frozen catch crops. In this case, farmers want an all-over cutting to be able to do without glyphosate.
The Finer SL can also be used to sow catch crops or in combination with the tine seed kit to sow rape and cereals in very wet conditions. The Finer SL can actually be used all year round.
If the Finer SL is modified and combined with a packer, it can be used for seedbed preparation. Moreover, it guarantees an efficient consolidation in the germination horizon.

terraHORSCH: What are the limits of the Finer SL?
Daniel Halbmann:
Because of the short design there is less clearance for harvest residues. Stubble cultivation, thus, is only possible if the straw has been taken away or if there is only a small amount of harvest residues.
If you want to carry out a carefree stubble break, the Finer is not the right tool as you have to make too many compromises. You have to pay attention to the condition of the stubble field, the amount of straw and logded grain etc. If you have to deal with those question in such detail, it is no longer carefree. But a stubble cultivator should work in a carefree way. For the farmers want to lay the base for a successful next sowing season and a good harvest.
Philipp Horsch: The keyword carefree leads us to the Joker line. Compact disc harrows still play a central role in shallow tillage all over the world.


terraHORSCH:In which conditions can it be used?
Daniel Halbmann:
With our Joker you can almost always carry out a stubble cultivation. You do not have to worry about how many harvest residues etc. there are or how large a catch crop is. There are rotary tools and sufficient clearance. With a Joker you possibly can even crush and excellently mix in harvest residues. In my opinion, an excelling feature of a compact disc harrow is that it can work shallowly but still mix very intensively. But there are limits with regard to the longitudinal and cross distribution of harvest residues.
You can only cultivate all over to a very limited extent. For stubble cultivation the working depth amounts to 4 to 6 cm. With a compact disc harrow, all over cultivation is possible only starting at 8 cm – by the way this is the case for all compact disc harrow. A disc harrow can only cultivate all over if the cutting and the breaking triangle is smaller than the adjusted working depth. And even in this case you have to watch how the machine behaves in the field and if it really cultivates all over.
But the advantages of a first stubble break are: you can work shallowly but still mix very intensively and thus create a straw-soil contact to encourage straw rotting. Moreover, the Joker creates perfect climatic conditions for volunteer crops. And you can go very fast. Compared to a tine tool, the horsepower requirement is relatively low. In addition, the Joker is particularly energy-efficient and requires little diesel per hectare.
It rarely happens that you have to fight a lot of weed already in the stubbles as with conventional cultivation the population normally is clean.
All-over cutting only happens in the second or third pass. Thus, the Joker is very efficient with regard to breaking the stubbles. However, you have to see to it that the distribution is good. If this is not the case, you might have to carry out an additional pass to distribute the straw.
Moreover, the Joker is equipped with high-performance roller bearings which are maintenance-free and have an extremely long service life.
The Joker is always equipped with a packer to create the soil contact for the volunteer crops. This shows the connection to the Cruiser which also stands for a perfect stubble break. With the different that with the Cruiser you can optimise straw distribution in one pass and that the focus of the Joker is more on the topics carefree, fast and cost-efficient.

terraHORSCH: There also is the TerraCut point. What is this point used for?
Daniel Halbmann:
The TerraCut point is a tool for our cultivator lines that are equipped with a TerraGrip tine. The TerraCut point is a specialist for shallow cutting, i.e. between approx. 2 to 6 cm. The points guarantee that the soil is completely cut at this working depth.
This point has not been designed for breaking stubbles but primarily for weed management. It is mounted at the TerraGrip tine, a rigid, laterally stable tine, i.e. it only gives way in case of an overload (stones etc.). Otherwise, it moves in the soil in a stable way and is very robust. Due to this TerraGrip tine our customers can break the soil all over, even hard soils and in solid conditions like for example clover grass – in only one pass. So you can cultivate deeply rooted, solid plants in hard conditions.
The point is optimum if you do not want to buy a Finer but still want to cultivate all over and shallowly. For customers and farms that do not want to buy a specialist machine it is the optimum equipment addition for the cultivator. Thus, you can turn a deep cultivator into a shallow cultivator.

terraHORSCH: How can the farmer find the correct focus and thus the right tool?
Philipp Horsch:
This requires a lot of exchange and consultation between the farms, our sales partner and, if necessary, our own employees. Together they will soon find out which tool best meets the requirements and expectations of the farmer.
Daniel Halbmann: Exactly. We offer four different machines for shallow tillage plus the option that all cultivators can be equipped with a TerraCut point. There is not the one machine that fits all, for the conditions in farming are varied and different and the requirements and the objectives of the farmers differ, too. It always depends on what you want to carry out resp. achieve. This has to be the basis for choosing the cultivator that fits the prevailing conditions best and that helps to put the objectives most efficiently into practice. If you want to combine a lot of things, you have to compromise. Certain compromises, of course, are possible and the farm still can benefit.
Philipp Horsch: We are very confident that today we offer a very balanced and appropriate range of shallow tillage tools. Thus, we sustainably support the professional farmer with regard to the challenges in farming.