Paratilling gains use for field preparation: works in conventional, minimum-till or no-till systems.

Works in Conventional, Minimum-Till or No-Till Systems

The relatively new technique of "Paratilling" is gaining use in breaking up poorly drained, heavily compacted fields, resulting in increased productivity. The usual method of breaking up tightly compacted subsoil is to use a subsoiler with vertical shanks that tend to disturb the topsoil, which is okay for conventionally tilled land. However, farmers using minimum-till and no-till systems want to keep residue on top of the ground with minimum soil disturbance.

To accomplish this, AGCO Tye of Lockney, TX, developed the Paratill which uses a unique angled leg that lifts the soil and shatters the subsoil without drastically disturbing the topsoil or burying residue. The angled leg of the Paratill loosens the entire soil profile without creating clods and leaves a level surface ready for no-till drilling or planting, according to Brian Inverarity, the company's sales engineer.

"Paratill total loosening improves water infiltration and soil drainage," he said. "It also allows deep root growth to withstand drought stress."

Inverarity explained that there are two different styles of straight bar Paratill frames. The two-bar unit is used for total soil loosening or in rocky soils where the mechanical trip is needed; the three-bar unit is mostly used in row crops grown on ridges or in beds where the angle leg can loosen under the beds without destroying them.

A recent introduction is an auto-reset design built on a V-frame design. This model is necessary in certain areas of the country, such as the glaciated areas of the Midwest and the volcanic areas of the Northwest, according to Inverarity. The automatic reset feature enables the angled leg to kick up when it contacts a rock, then automatically reenter and continue loosening the soil.

The angled leg concept was first developed in the mid-'70s by the Institute of Agricultural Engineering in England and was especially designed to overcome the soil compaction associated with the UK's no-till farming practices. Opportunities for marketing the implement in the US was great because of growing concerns over the continuing loss of top soil.

"This tool fitted right in and was exactly what the soil conservation people were looking for," Inverarity said.

The Tye company mounted the angled legs on a two-bar frame and began marketing it as the Paratill in 1987. Both the name and the angled leg design are patented.

Inverarity said more US producers are seeing the value of the Paratill in their conservation practices. Recent research from the University of Kentucky showed that Paratilled fields outproduced non-Paratilled fields by about 25 percent.

"There are significant yield and monetary benefits to creating a nice soil bed for certain crops," he said.

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The Paratill's design includes an angled leg that lifts and bends the soil, allowing it to fracture along natural planes of weakness down to the full working depth.

Paratill helps keep conservation plans in compliance while protecting soil from wind and water erosion. Producers are using Paratill for a variety of crops, including corn, wheat, cotton, soybeans, potatoes, milo, berries, sugar cane, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables, as well as on hay and grassland.

A leg spacing of 26[inches] or less insures complete soil loosening from one leg to the next, fracturing the soft profile across the full working width in a single pass.

In 30[inches] to 40[inches] row crops, the Paratill can be used to selectively loosen the zone of soil where the crop will be planted, yet leaving firm furrow bottoms and traffic lanes.