Question for Real Farmers

[FarmCatJenkins]

I have seen it talked about before, that after you harvest corn IRL, farmers will run a ripper through the stalks at a different angle than what was planted. Looking for someone to give their thoughts on proper tillage angle. Would angle be different in fall compared to spring?

I know it's not necessary for the game, but I'm doing a realistic RP playthrough.

[crash]

If you drive at the same line as the stalks you can risk that you got stalks that are still fully in ground. At a slight angle with a hi speed disk running at like 2-3 inches you should cut and disturb everything. But there is a whole lot of stuff to take into consideration. Like disc spacings, disc angle, disc concave, working depth, what type of stalks etc. An old type disc harrorw with a small amount of concave working shallow isent the best solution maybe, They might be better to cut sod at a deeper working depth. A more modern hi speed disc might be more suited to work at a shallow depth.

https://youtu.be/p8Nmz60HNqs

[FarmCatJenkins]

Thanks!

[crash]

Im no farmer btw, But i lived on a farm for my first 12 years, i like to call my self environmently damaged. But the video proves the point i think. The implement in the video rotates the disc gangs around its axis to change the angle. Depth is adjusted with front/rear packer.

https://www.vaderstad.com/en/tillage/di ... arrier-xt/

Im not sure about discing corn stalks in the fall. But i see some 'youtube farmers' say that the corn stalks make a insulating carpet if its not tilled in the fall, and in certain soil types it makes it so that the soil dont dry up in the spring..

[UncleRico]

The insulating carpet can go both ways also. It can keep the ground frozen for longer too in the spring and prevent the water from draining through but can also protect from erosion. We generally chisel plow or disc the stalks in the fall depending the year and if the ground needs loosening. As far as direction we work all our fields at a skew once a year. It helps with flattening the field and keeping it smooth. If you always hit a field the same way over and over eventually you’ll get ridges and valleys from the way the dirt moves.

[FarmCatJenkins]

Interesting. A lot more goes into it than I had orginally thought.

[SimulatedFarmer]

Interesting. A lot more goes into it than I had orginally thought.

I’m always amazed at the intricacies of farming. These people should be far better paid than they are. Under difficult circumstances, they continue to grow our food and most of us never give it a thought. It can be darned dangerous, too. I’m going to simulate the above suggestions with my corn fields. Thank you, farmers.