Corn residue in particular must be sized and evenly mixed to incorporate organic material into the soil. This accelerates decomposition and reincorporates valuable nutrients that promote healthy plants the following year.

Fall tillage also helps the ground warm faster in the spring, saving farmers valuable time in cold, wet planting seasons when time is at a premium.

Though fall tillage has many benefits for the following year’s production, it can be tempting to forego late-season residue management to save time and resources. Conventional discs provide intensive mixing, but they must be followed by secondary tillage equipment to level the ground in preparation for planting, racking up fuel and labor costs. In addition, the slow operating speeds necessary to run heavy discs take up valuable time in a race to beat snowfall and freezing temperatures.

More growers are using high-speed discs with deep mixing depths to effectively manage residue in the fall while saving time and reducing fuel and labor costs.

The Lemken Rubin 12 helps farmers maximize residue management efficiency by eliminating the need for secondary tillage and offering faster operating speeds. With the largest diameter discs and most aggressive dual cutting angle of any disc of its kind, the Rubin 12 provides the same intensive mixing of conventional discs but in a more efficient package. 29-inch serrated discs allow a consistent working depth as deep as 8 inches, providing powerful sizing and mixing of dense corn residue.

Single-disc holding arms prevent plugging and uneven tillage due to hitting buried rocks, common frustrations with conventional discs, especially after high-yield corn crops or on rocky soils.

The Rubin 12 runs most efficiently at speeds of 8 to 10 mph, allowing farmers to get through fall tillage quickly. In addition to faster operating speeds, the Rubin 12 reduces the number of passes necessary for effective residue management, saving growers even more time. An impact harrow behind the first row of discs provides intensive mixing and crumbling, and the second row is followed by integrated leveling tines that evenly distribute soil, a one-two punch that leaves a level, planter-ready seedbed after just one pass.

For growers who want the benefits of conventional residue management but need more time and fuel efficiency, high-speed tillage is the ideal solution. The Rubin 12 allows growers to take advantage of faster operating speeds, fewer passes and better seedbed preparation while maintaining the sizing and intensive mixing capabilities of conventional tillage equipment.

Visit lemken.com for more information.