GIANTS Software - Forum

I predominantly use seeders which are capable of seeding without requiring any cultivating or plowing, is this done IRL as well or do farmers always cultivate their fields after harvest?

Now I just run the seeder over the field after harvest but it feels I'm skipping a step.

Depends on what you are planting into, but yeah no till is currently pretty common.

Depends on what is being planted, where it is being planted and what other field conditions are being considered.

FS has two issues when compared to IRL:

1) Players have much more limited time, meaning if one were to force the players to play exactly like IRL, it would be very boring and tedious
2) The game is overly simplified and there aren't any real trade offs, where as IRL farmers are constantly balancing costs, benefits and downsides when evaluating what to do with a given field.

Direct seeding is realistic. That is the short answer.

When it is done and why is a huge conversation that takes into account climate, soil type, crops, the amount of straw, how straw is managed, weeds, economics,... All of which don't exist in the game, or at least not to the same extent.

ThatCanadianGuy wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 1:30 am Direct seeding is realistic. That is the short answer.

When it is done and why is a huge conversation that takes into account climate, soil type, crops, the amount of straw, how straw is managed, weeds, economics,... All of which don't exist in the game, or at least not to the same extent.

...moisture, chem resistance, recreational tillage, fuel prices...
Complicated.

DEERE317 wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 1:33 am ...moisture, chem resistance, recreational tillage, fuel prices...
Complicated.

Speaking of recreational tillage, I was a wedding I was at years ago and someones advice to the groom was "always have 40 acres of summer fallow so you always have an excuse to get out of the house (in the summer)"

ThatCanadianGuy wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 1:54 am

DEERE317 wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 1:33 am ...moisture, chem resistance, recreational tillage, fuel prices...
Complicated.

Speaking of recreational tillage, I was a wedding I was at years ago and someones advice to the groom was "always have 40 acres of summer fallow so you always have an excuse to get out of the house (in the summer)"

Well I guess that’s a reason, even though I imagine micro managing a 40ac hay field may be more productive...

To someone’s above point, no till can be quite appealing if the field is in a state that the drill/seeder can plant with an even seed bed to work with but if the field had a lot of disturbance such as what happens in rice fields (which is what my experience is with) then you have to cultivate/disk the field or the drill/seeder couldn’t make a consistent seed bed, again as someone mentioned above the reasons giants does it they way they do is for a duplicity of reason but the shortest answer being simplicity

from where i'm from, we usually cultivate/disc harrow/plow fields after harvesting and then once again in the spring before seeding, only winter crops go in after one tillage. That's the way i play with seasons as well.

vovovo wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 10:27 am from where i'm from, we usually cultivate/disc harrow/plow fields after harvesting and then once again in the spring before seeding, only winter crops go in after one tillage. That's the way i play with seasons as well.

Do you do this because the soil is broken up after harvest and there's no even seedbed?

AgriFrank wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 3:43 pm

vovovo wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 10:27 am from where i'm from, we usually cultivate/disc harrow/plow fields after harvesting and then once again in the spring before seeding, only winter crops go in after one tillage. That's the way i play with seasons as well.

Do you do this because the soil is broken up after harvest and there's no even seedbed?

It's one reason, but not the most important. In autumn, it's done so that the stuble/straw/whatever leftover etc are mixed with soil. It also helps with weed control, after harvesting fields are left wait until weeds are germinated and then these germinated weeds are plowed/cultivated/disc harrowed deep under soil. The same goes with different pests, plant diseases. In spring it's done so that the soil is softened up after winter and snow, some crops need nice and soft seedbed to be seeded in. It also helps reduce soil moisture. I dont know, if these are correct terms i've used, but i hope you get the point.

With us it's always what's best suited for the field so we'll either plow harrow set or harrow (twice) then set or direct sowing at times, so a mix really.

DEERE317 wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 1:58 am

ThatCanadianGuy wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 1:54 am

DEERE317 wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 1:33 am ...moisture, chem resistance, recreational tillage, fuel prices...
Complicated.

Speaking of recreational tillage, I was a wedding I was at years ago and someones advice to the groom was "always have 40 acres of summer fallow so you always have an excuse to get out of the house (in the summer)"

Well I guess that’s a reason, even though I imagine micro managing a 40ac hay field may be more productive...

It's not meant to be productive...
40ac of hay is just a massive pita to a grain farmer.

ThatCanadianGuy wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 3:59 am

DEERE317 wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 1:58 am

ThatCanadianGuy wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 1:54 am

Speaking of recreational tillage, I was a wedding I was at years ago and someones advice to the groom was "always have 40 acres of summer fallow so you always have an excuse to get out of the house (in the summer)"

Well I guess that’s a reason, even though I imagine micro managing a 40ac hay field may be more productive...

It's not meant to be productive...
40ac of hay is just a massive pita to a grain farmer.

I know it wasn’t to be productive, just seems like a better way to waste time to me.