Plowing depth, winter wheat vs spring wheat

big fred · Apr 5, 2014

I was reading a book about the Battle of Agincourt, and they made a big point of saying that because the French had planted winter wheat, they had plowed much deeper than an English farmer would when he planted spring wheat. This was a major contributing factor to the English victory, as it meant the French were attacking in sticky mud halfway to their knees. I grew up in North Dakota, where I had no experience of winter wheat, and I'm wondering if it's true you plow deeper for winter wheat, and if so, how much deeper?

Wheat Farmer · Apr 5, 2014

Know nothing about spring wheat. We stopped plowing in the late 50's, and only disk maybe about 6" the first time in April. SE Nebr panhandle.

Leroy · Apr 5, 2014

Ordinally do not plow for wheat, if worked just a couple of diskings but now most is no-tilled. Only time ever plowed for wheat was trying to get a 2 acre field in after corn harvest and fodder was too heavy to get drill to work. This was 40 years ago.

RandyB(MI) · Apr 5, 2014

In MI we always planted winter wheat and just drilled it in right behind navy bean or soy bean harvest. Combine had good chopper on back so no junk on field.

Bob · Apr 5, 2014

as you know, DEEP plowing was not the way to go in Towner or Rolette counties, probably worked better in the Agassiz area?

big fred · Apr 6, 2014

We actually only plowed when breaking up alfalfa fields or, way back when I was a little kid, corn fields (Dad quit growing corn in about '63 or thereabouts). The Battle of Agincourt, of course, was 600 years ago, and in northern France. I was hoping there might be someone on here who knew both winter and spring wheat, and who still plowed regularly.

Plowing depth, winter wheat vs spring wheat

big fred

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Wheat Farmer

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Leroy

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RandyB(MI)

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Bob

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big fred

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