User Manual

SEEDHAWK®TOOLBAROPERATOR’SMANUAL42
4.13 CROPRESIDUECONSIDERATIONS
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Seeding into fields with heavy residue is challenging, but residue cover is essential to the
successof  a zero‐tillcroppingsystem.Ideally,the straw heightfrom thepreviousyearwill be
lessthanorequaltothewidthoftheSeedHawk
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Drillrowspacing.
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Foroptimumresults,thecombineshouldchopthestrawandspreadthestrawandchaffevenly
acrosstheentireswathwidth.Thefertilizerandseedkniveswillcatchanddragsmallamounts
of crop residuewhile seeding.Somesmall clumps of straw may be depositedalongthe seed
rowmakingthefinishedseedbedappearrough.
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IMPORTANT:Avoid harrowing after seeding with the Seed Hawk Drill.Harrowing after
seeding can drastically alter seed depth.Although tempting toharrowto smooth outstraw
clumps,theseclumpswillsmoothoutovertimeandexposuretotheweather.
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Increased humidity will reduce the ease with which the straw will flow around the knives.
Increasedhumiditynearthesoilsurfaceismorecommon
duringthefirstfewyearsofzero‐
till.This is due to lower soil porosityand infiltrationrates. With time,the soil porosity and
infiltrationrateswillrise,andthehumiditywilldecrease.
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