Dirt Elimination from Cultivator Gauge Wheel
One prevailing problem was solved by no-tillers or cultivator gauge wheel as it stopped farmers from using a rotary hoe. It's never too late to take a look around the site. On topics ranging from the best planters to the best rotations to the No-Till Farmer's featured issue of dirt buildup on gauge wheels, some of your fellow no-tillers have been chiming in.
Gauge wheels getting clogged up with dirt is one of the major issues. Inside the gauge wheel, we're experiencing a buildup of dirt. The distance between the rubber and the opener is so small that there is no room for error. In some cases, a 1/4-inch-wide ring of packed dirt will form around the disc opener's outer circumference.
Using no-tilling in soils that are too wet requires a cautious approach. Compressing or compacting wet soil will never result in successful soil manipulation. Row unit weight or down pressure is the primary cause of the symptoms you describe. Many customers are complaining about similar symptoms, and down pressure has been the root cause in nearly every case.
For a successful no-tilling operation in wet soils, here are some guidelines to follow -
Wet soil can't be brought up by fertilizer attachments
For better results, row cleaners should be raised a few inches higher.
Planter gauge wheels and drills are good places to start. A true gauge wheel isn't in your drill? Possibly, it's time for a new one. For the past 40 years or so, almost all planters contains gauge wheels along with the opener blades, and due to a good reason—the seed drops from that location, so you get the greatest precise depth control.
By placing the gauge wheel next to the blade, soil will not be thrown away from the furrow by using the opener blades, which is an added benefit. Low-disturbance no tillage with maximum mulch retention and minimal weed seed planting is what you'll get out of this. In the process of closing the furrow, you'll be grateful that the soil hasn't been thrown at a distant from where you need it—back over the seed! As an added bonus, if you're prone to waterlogging, you definitely don't letting to create depression that will lead to collection of rainwater. For those who frequently plant in dry conditions and must "furrow down" quite a bit of soil so that they can access moisture, this may not be an option.
Ask at 4AG Manufacturing for a vivid idea and get a cultivator gauge wheel for farming.