At some meetings where herbicide-resistant weeds have been discussed (waterhemp, mainly), it's been suggested for farmers to keep a cultivator handy to take care of small problem areas where herbicide-resistant weeds are taking over.
Do any of you have cultivators where you could do this? The recommendation is being given in single-digit acre parcels (like five-acre areas infested with waterhemp) rather than cultivating 2,000 acres. But I wonder if there are cultivators around to even do this.
I don't know of anyone who does this anymore. Very few cultivators of any kind on farms around here. Cultivators only work up to a certain crop size. A lot of problem weeds seem to come as a late flush in crops too high to cultivate.
gil, i have a 16 row that i use every year. I just like to do it. I get alot of static from my neighbors about being old fashioned. SW is right, experienced (and willing) operators are in short supply. when i was growing up , cultivating was the easiest (and most boring) job on my dad's farm. I have fond memories of cultivating corn while listening to the minnesota twins games.
I've got memories like that too from my youth. LOL
In later years though I used a Lilliston Rolling Cultivator that you could really make some speed with if you had it setup right. We have fairly heavy soils in this area and getting some air into the roots could really work wonders, especially after a bit of a wet spell. I've seen corn looking pretty pale and purplish turn dark green overnight once that cultivator streaked through it. Not a job for a novice tractor operator for sure, but well worth it when needed... sorta like a rotary hoe in beans I'd say.
learned much on a high speed cultivator,,,,, concentration, anticipation, driving skills, mind control, observation..... pride in that first day you run for 12 hours and never touch the crop. And the day your dad sets your cultivator as tight as his....
Thx for your responses on this one. The first time I ever cultivated was when I was a field scout during a college summer internship in central SD. I was having an awful time the first couple rows when my boss introduced the concept of "guess rows" to me and I did better after that! Was a hard job, though, and I wonder how many younger folks would want to do that!
I wonder with Jim Meade's point, too, about later flushes like with waterhemp. But if it could get you up to canopy with no whemp poking thorugh on problem acres, might be worth a look, provided you can get one.
