Effective high-speed, high-residue rowcrop cultivation

Banding of herbicides linked with mechanical cultivation has been touted as a way to decrease dependence on chemical inputs in farming. Tests on a farm near Boone, Iowa, were used to determine the effects of cultivator design and speed when combined with the banding of chemicals to control weeds. Three cultivator styles, two speeds, and two herbicide bands (19 cm. and 38 cm.) were tested. Results showed that faster cultivation speeds did not harm weed control or crop yields. There was no difference between yield in a broadcast treatment and that of a cultivator treatment in conjunction with a wide band of herbicide when disc hillers were also used