Article written by Claydon Drills. See Claydon Drills at Direct Driller at Cereals Event 11 & 12 June 2024
Using your Straw Harrow before or after you direct drill has a hugely positive impact on your crop establishment results.
Managing stubbles
Patchy establishment is caused by thick layers of poorly chopped and spread straw from the combine harvester. Spreading chaff and straw evenly across your fields helps eliminate patchy germination.
Claydon straw harrows offer the solution to this and will allow you to establish even crops across your fields by breaking down and dispersing crop residues. This includes the headlands as our Straw Harrows are able to turn at the field ends “in work” without needing to be lifted, ensuring straw is evenly distributed.
Generating tilth, raking weeds
Five banks of flexible, vibrating spring tines operating at high speed is a very effective method of generating tilth to germinate weeds and volunteers, which are then raked out. This mechanical weeding makes the Straw Harrow an attractive prospect for organic farmers.
Reducing slug populations
High speed harrowing is very effective at turning over crop residues and exposing them to ultra violet light, desiccating slugs and their eggs.
Warming overwintered soils
Using the Straw Harrow on soil surfaces and stubbles in the spring creates a micro-tilth for not only germinating weeds and volunteers but also to warm up that very important soil that will sit around your grains, grasses and pulses for a fast and even germination.
Returning nutrients and organic matter to soil
If you want to make use of the straw you’re chopping and spreading back on to your land then it will require some attention. To make best use of this valuable commodity, the Claydon Straw Harrows allow you to:
- Distribute straw evenly across your soil surface area.
- Break soil cap and stimulate healthy bacteria.
- Breaking down the crop residue into smaller pieces, making it easier for the earthworms to harvest
These three things are fundamental for turning your straw into something worth leaving on your fields.
Transforming slabby seedbeds and covering seeded rows
The straw harrow is a great tool for breaking down slabby seedbeds and clods into smaller particles, covering in open rows left by drilling in imperfect conditions, as can be seen below.
The effectiveness of the fast, multi action Claydon Straw Harrow is due to its quality of build and durability. Huge amounts of ground can be covered in a day for little cost and minimal wearing parts.
Claydon Straw Harrows are available in 3m , 7.5m and 9m mounted models and 12.5m and 15m trailed.
Hot and dry or cool and wet, our range of Straw Harrows https://claydondrill.com/straw-harrow/ allow you to distribute straw, smash stubble, control slugs and remove weeds, creating the best environment for drilling and efficient germination of the crops you’re seeding.
Get in touch with us or one of our partners now to get a straw harrow on farm in time for the harrowing season: www.claydondrill.com
