High Yields Begin With
Uniform Stands!

A properly configured and adjusted set of row cleaners should consistently clear a band of residue either side of the disc openers - wide enough to let the gauge wheels run within. This allows uniform soil warming, more consistent depth control and even crop emergence. he video (right) illustrates a Kinze 3000 series planter equipped with Martin BK1360 floating row cleaners. These row cleaners are being used to no-till corn into soybean stubble which was then seeded to a wheat cover crop. (notice the use of side treader wheels which help maintain uniform working depth and to increase traction of the wheels to help prevent plugging). Row cleaners may need wheel weights (see tech tips section below) to help keep the row cleaner wheels engaged, especially when working in heavy corn residue.

Once residue is moved aside and the seed zone is lightly tilled with the row cleaner wheels, the soil quickly begins to warm up. A soil thermometer (or an infra-red thermometer) will quickly illustrate the differences in temperatures between residue covered soil and soil with cleared residue. On sunny days, a significant difference in soil temperature (as a result of row cleaners moving residue and lightly tilling the seed zone) will occur within an hour. The image (right) illustrates a 7.4oF temperature difference (at a 1” depth) between a cleared strip (left) and a residue covered area between the rows (right), just one hour after planting. This soil warming effect accelerates emergence, but residue clearing must be consistent otherwise uneven crop emergence will result.

Whether your running in conventional or no-till conditions, row cleaners help move residue and clods out of the way of the disc openers and gauge wheels to allow them to operate smoothly and to help eliminate unit vibration or bounce. Take the image to the right for example. This image illustrates a Kinze planter no-tilling corn into the previous years soybean residue. The field had anhydrous ammonia applied prior to the corn planting operation and that pass resulted in clods being pulled out of the soil. If these clods get under the gauge wheels, they can cause bouncing of the row unit, which frequently results in different seeding depths or skips as a result of seeds being dropped from the seed meter. Notice how the row cleaners kick clods clear of the gauge wheels, allowing them to maintain constant contact with the soil surface and to gauge depth effectively.

The second image (right) illustrates a White planter no-tilling corn into grain sorghum residue. Notice the sprayer tracks ahead of the row unit. The Martin BW1360 floating row cleaners helped smooth out the tire tracks and move residue aside to help the openers place seed at a consistent seeding depth.

Fixed Row Cleaners. This design is best suited for very heavy residue no-till conditions or narrow row crops such as 20” or 22” corn or soybean. They mount directly to the planter face plate once the no-till coulter is removed (see info on no-till coulter below).

Fixed Row Cleaners

WA 1532	WA 1320 N

Floating Row Cleaners. This design has become the most popular choice, in fact almost all the Martin row cleaners that we sell are the floating design. Their popularity has increased significantly over recent years on account of their ability to float and follow the contours of the ground much better than the fixed design (especially when they are fitted with aluminum side treader wheels). Floating row cleaners also offer growers the ability to leave the no-till coulter in place (they need to be removed for fixed row cleaners) or the ability to utilize a UMO-100 fertilizer opener mounted within the floating row cleaner frame on the planter face plate. The floating row cleaner will then clear residue ahead of the fertilizer opener and the double disc openers on the planter unit to help eliminate hair-pinning of residue.

Floating Row Cleaners

WA 1360 (shown with side treader wheels)

To the left is an image illustrating the terrain following ability of the floating row cleaners, in fact this specific grower made the comment that they work as well as anything he has ever used.

For the row cleaners and the row unit to perform best, its important to level the planter. The image (right) illustrates a grower who did not spend the time adjusting and leveling the planter, which caused the fixed row cleaners to create a trench ahead of the double disc openers. Leveling the planter is also important to maximize closing system performance.

One of the problems which results from the use of no-till coulters includes throwing soils out of the seed zone (see image right). This presents significant stand problems because it can lower the seed zone, causing water to stand in the rows - especially within high rainfall areas. When soil is thrown out of the seed zone as illustrated, it can also cause the gauge wheels to ride up on the soil and compromise seeding depth consistency. This results in some of the seeds being positioned too shallow in the soil, without enough soil to cover them. This problem is illustrated in the image below right

Another problem with no-till coulters is that they can produce a false floor in the bottom of the seed slot, which leads to poor seed to soil contact and reduced emergence. This is common in dry areas and is compounded by the fact that some brands (and models) of planter do not allow the no-till coulter to be raised up above the lower working depth of the double disc openers.

Wheel weights are illustrated right and they install within the side treader wheels of floating row cleaners using longer bolts. Each wheel weight weighs 5lb and four can be added per row to add a total of 20lb per row.

Wheel weights help keep floating row cleaners engaged in heavy residue as illustrated below right. This image illustrates row cleaners working in 100+ bu/ac wheat residue, but the properly configured row cleaners helped create excellent stands.