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No-till can reduce the number of field operations for corn from eight to two, just roll and plant. No-till cover crops supply nutrients, build organic matter and prevent soil erosion. The challenge has been in finding the right equipment to knock down the cover crop before planting.
The I & J front-mounted, Cover-Crop Roller meets that challenge by allowing farmers to knock down a weed-suppressing cover-crop mat and plant through it all in one operation, cutting two no-till passes to one.
The I & J Cover-Crop Roller can turn a lush stand of rye and hairy vetch into a thick, weed-suppressing mulch so well it makes observers wonder why herbicides were ever used in no-till farming. One farmer knocked down a cover crop of rye with the roller and planted directly into the residue. Although there were no chemicals involved, it looked so good and the kill was so complete an observer thought it must have been sprayed with herbicides.
The design of the I & J Cover-Crop Roller is based on what didn’t work well with stalk choppers. It uses a single cylinder with two bearings, instead of the chopper’s eight rolling drums and 16 bearings. Chevron-pattern, instead of parallel blades, avoid kicking up soil. A pipe 16 inches in diameter was chosen for the core and four-inch blades proved most effective in tests. The I & J Cover-Crop Roller has tested at 90% minimum crop knockdown and easily handles tough crops like hairy vetch and rye that cause problems for stalk choppers.
The Cover Crop Roller can be mounted on a front end loader with custom built adapter. The Crop Roller can also be pulled with horses using our optional trailing frame.
* Add 75lb per ft filled with liquid.
* We reserve the right to adjust prices. Price changes may not be immediately reflected on web site. Prices do not include freight costs.
Briefly, the Cover Crop Roller was developed to overcome the shortcomings of knocking down an existing cover crop and then planting on no-till farms. Finding the right equipment for cover crop management has been the biggest barrier to no-till farming. Now, with a no-till planter attached to the back of the tractor and the Cover Crop Roller mounted to the front, a farmer can roll and plant all in the same pass!
THE ROLLING AND CRIMPING ACTION OF THE BLADES WILL TRANSFORM A FIELD OF VETCH, RYE OR OTHER COVER CROP INTO A THICK, WEED SUPPRESSING MULCH.
Farmers of organic farms and sustainable agriculture who already work with cover crops will quickly realize the time saving value of a front mounted Cover Crop Roller. Many conventional farmers recognize no till farming benefits and make the move to organic farming with this step saving tool. Or they can use the Cover Crop Roller as part of their conventional farming program to reduce the amount of herbicide sprays.
