Show should mold board plow be scrapped U to plow or not to plow that is I 1 a question that is stirring the nations ti ns agricultural experts recent statements in the press that the plow is a great enemy of man prompted cyril luker regional conservator of the soi conservation service to point out that many progressive failers f aimers have been farming without plows for a number of years he added however that the pl w still has a limited use foi certain types of farming operations the whole qu question estfon of whether the moldboard 1 plow should be relegated to the scrap heap arose recently through the publication of a book called Plow mans F 1 ly in which it was stated that crop yields are reduced and fertility wasted because of plowing the author concluded that many farmers plow simply because of tradition or because they like to till the soil in place of old time plowing stubble mulch farming is becoming increasingly p popular pular in region mr luker said stubble mulch tillage stirs the soil without turning I 1 ng it completely over and leaves a protective cover of cr crop op stubble on the surface of the ground farmers on the windswept wind swept great plains do not turn under wheat stubble but leave it on top of the ground to lessen wind erosion and hold rainwater he stated west of the great plains where winter w inter rainfall often damages bare fields a protective mulch is used to decrease the loss of soil i land and water in runoff since stubble mulching is comparatively ively new in this region mr luker could not offer cm complete statistics on its advantages he instated stated however that the nebraska experiment station has increased wheat and rye yields from 5 to 10 bushels an acre through continued on page five a MOLD BOARD PLOW a 0 continued from page 1 stubble mulch farming in general farmers no longer burn crop residues but use them to protect the land luker said in eastern colorado wheat farmers recently declared that wheat stubble is worth at least sa an acre to them as protection from win wind d erosion and as a means of returning organic matter to the soil farmers can modify moldboard plows or discs to do a fairly effective job of stubble mulching or they can purchase duck foot shovels or sweeps to attach to plows cultivators or listers he said sub soiling machines which increase moisture penetration but leave crop stubble relatively undisturbed have also been developed by farm implement firms stubble mulched land is not so pleasing to the eye as neatly turned furrows mr luker admitted but he declared that this new type of farming is paying dividends in land protection even so sc he does not believe the moldboard plow should be entirely discarded for it still has a small but important use for terracing and ertain t ain types of contour tillage |