Väderstad is working with the Agco tractor brand Valtra to study the effects of its tillage implement, the TopDown, at a research farm in northern Denmark.
“The goal of the field study is to determine the optimal settings for the working zones of the cultivator to maximize crop yield,” says Nina Pettersson, chief agronomist at Väderstad.
“In addition, we aim to increase the understanding about the impact of different tillage depths and consolidation levels on crop emergence across varying soil types.”
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The TopDown will work the field and be set to a variety of different depths and adjustments across different soils types. The test field will then be planted with winter wheat.
Väderstad and Agco agronomists will monitor the germination and early emergence, as well as evaluate the crop growth and soil compaction levels the following spring. Yield data will be gathered after harvesting the crop next year.
“By adjusting the tillage to the actual needs, we make sure to disturb the soil as little as possible,” says Pettersson.
“This minimizes the possible negative impacts of tillage, such as carbon losses, moisture evaporation and erosion.”
The two brands expect to share the full results of the trial as soon as they become available next year.
