Even when cultivating small plots of land, summer residents and gardeners strive to use technical devices and at the same time preserve the upper fertile layer of the earth. Cultivation of soil using a flat cutter or chisel cultivator is a non-moldboard method of soil cultivation. The advantage of the method is that when wrapping the arable layer, it is possible to preserve crop residues on the surface of the earth. During cultivation, the soil is loosened to a shallow depth.
What it is?
The traditional method of digging significantly depletes the soil and contributes to a decrease in fertility.The top layer dries quickly when turned over, turning into dust as the plant's root systems are torn. The problem of deep plowing of the land can be solved by the “zero tillage system” - a no-moldboard method.
To retain moisture in the soil during spring plowing, the Maltsev method is used. Its essence: when cultivating an area with a plow, the top soil layer is not turned over, but the soil is loosened. Moreover, the loosening is done shallow, which preserves the fertile upper layer.
Thanks to special devices, it is possible to carry out in-depth loosening of the soil without disturbing its natural structure. Various devices are used to carry out the work.
Advantages and disadvantages
The non-moldboard method of cultivating land is very common, which is not surprising. The method has several advantages:
- Thanks to shallow loosening, the earth is saturated with humus and oxygen. Traditional digging also provides oxygen access to the lower layers, but in smaller quantities;
- the soil dries out more slowly, because in a loose structure the process of liquid evaporation slows down. Also, loosened soil becomes saturated with water faster;
- plants planted in soil treated without mouldboarding take root faster and grow strong;
- loose soil promotes the active life of worms and microorganisms, which contributes to the enrichment of the soil with nitrogen;
- in the hot season, loose soil, thanks to aeration, does not overheat, and in winter it freezes less;
- the process of restoring soil fertility is more active;
- Less effort is required to cultivate the land.
To carry out surface loosening of the soil, special equipment is required.The acquisition of technical devices is the main disadvantage of the non-moldboard method of tillage.
Plowing units
When preparing a large field for sowing in the spring, you cannot do without a plow, which is connected to a tractor. To cultivate a modest-sized plot of land, hand tools and compact technical devices are used:
- Fokin's flat cutter is a tool that resembles a shovel, only a special hook is attached to the handle. Advantages of the device: models are available with hook blades of different sizes; you can hill up beds, mow grass, weed, thin out excess seedlings; cultivating the land requires little effort. Disadvantages: it is convenient to loosen only a small area of land, you need to make physical efforts to cultivate the soil;
- A chisel mulch cultivator is used to carry out primary tillage of the soil in a non-mouldboard method. Advantages of the equipment: compact design, maneuverability, versatility, set of tips for various works. The main disadvantage is the need for “traction” equipment (walk-behind tractor or compact tractor).
When choosing a device, you need to take into account several factors: area of the site, cost of the device. To use the Fokin flat cutter, no special skills are required. However, loosening a large area will require a lot of time.
How is no-moldboard tillage carried out?
The easiest way to cultivate garden beds is to use a Fokina flat cutter. Recommendations for using the device without wrapping the treated layer:
- the handle of the flat cutter is picked up and held in the same way as a hoe;
- the blade-hook is inserted into the ground with little effort to a depth of 5-7 cm;
- sequentially moving around the site or bed, loosen all the soil.
Moldboard-free tillage is the best option for spring preparation of beds for sowing. Thanks to this rational method, the fertile soil layer will be preserved longer. With minimal labor costs, it will be possible to collect voluminous harvests.
