Roller Crimper

[SD51555]

I'm not sure if that is hawkweed....but it is not in the plot nor in the rye. Lots of weeds outside my plots.

You should be very proud of that, the presence of weeds stops right where your plot begins.

It sure looks like hawkweed from here. Only other candidate I could think of is buttercup. My buttercup is about that size right now.

I point that out because I think it's an important contrast for what you're doing there, and it's a big win for your methods. When it gets to be pigweed season, I bet you're gonna see a similar line in the sand from inside to outside. Very cool to watch it unfold and seeing the life keep the worst of the weeds at bay. Them weeds ain't so tuff when they gotta duke it out with a dozen other plants working together.

 

[Foggy47]

You should be very proud of that, the presence of weeds stops right where your plot begins.

It sure looks like hawkweed from here. Only other candidate I could think of is buttercup. My buttercup is about that size right now.

I point that out because I think it's an important contrast for what you're doing there, and it's a big win for your methods. When it gets to be pigweed season, I bet you're gonna see a similar line in the sand from inside to outside. Very cool to watch it unfold and seeing the life keep the worst of the weeds at bay. Them weeds ain't so tuff when they gotta duke it out with a dozen other plants working together.

I think you are right about the hawkweed. I saw some yellow flowers in another plot too....but I am quite certain that is some collards that bolted. Lots of clover under that rye cover. I am glad I did these tests today....as I found the best method to roll my rye is by mounting the roller crimper on the 3 point and using is as such. Kinda looking forward to getting this done.....and seeing the summer release take hold.

I have also learned that Arrostook (variety) Cereal Rye will mature about 7 to 10 days sooner than the variety I planted. That is a big thing for me....if I double or triple crop. That is in my sights for the future.

SD.....I hope you realize....that the ONLY reason I did those test termination comparisons Is because you requested them. I will take some more pics after a week or two to see what happens next to those efforts.

 

[SD51555]

I think you are right about the hawkweed. I saw some yellow flowers in another plot too....but I am quite certain that is some collards that bolted. Lots of clover under that rye cover. I am glad I did these tests today....as I found the best method to roll my rye is by mounting the roller crimper on the 3 point and using is as such. Kinda looking forward to getting this done.....and seeing the summer release take hold.

I have also learned that Arrostook (variety) Cereal Rye will mature about 7 to 10 days sooner than the variety I planted. That is a big thing for me....if I double or triple crop. That is in my sights for the future.

SD.....I hope you realize....that the ONLY reason I did those test termination comparisons Is because you requested them. I will take some more pics after a week or two to see what happens next to those efforts.

You'da man, man!

 

[Foggy47]

Today I got my tractor and crimper ready to roll my rye.....soon. The closeup shows a stem of rye that is just starting to flower. I suppose I am within a week of being at the dough stage and will roll then. I decided to do a few test strips as some had debated the roller vs other methods of termination.

The first plot pic below is a strip I had killed with 2 Qt/ Acre roundup.....and mowed with the flail and then seeded some Egyptian wheat....for a screen. The next plot pic shows flail mowing with my woodmaxx flail mower. This seemed to work pretty good.....and I kept it about 4 or 5 inches off the ground to allow the clover and summer release to live. The right half of the third pic shows the results of the cultipacker pass.....not good at all......and the right side of the pic shows the results of the roller crimper. (I dont know why I didn't take a better pic?). The roller crimper looks to have done the best job of termination.....and mulching the crop below.....hands down. 2nd place is likely the flail mower.....will know more in a few days.

One thing about front mounting that roller/crimper.....is that it makes steering nearly impossible. I put the loader in the "float" mode and that part is ok....but that roller wants to go STRAIGHT in a big way. Even slight turns are dicey. The stop bolts on my plate were sliding on the steel. I think this would be impossible for me to plant and roller crimp at the same time for several reasons. Trying to time those two operations and driving under those conditions is not easy.

I'm going to mount my roller crimper on the three point and call it a day. I think it will be far better for the longevity of my loader and I am certain I can steer a bit better that way. Glad I did the tests....now I know how I want to roll in a few days.

Today I turned my roller 180 degrees and put it back on the three point. NIGHT AND DAY difference in operation speed and abilty to steer. I would NOT put a roller crimper back on the loader and would caution folks about doing so. Some large ag tractors do have a dedicated three point hitch....and that is another matter.....but MOST folks will be better off keeping that roller crimper on the three point.....IMO. I cannot see trying to operate a drill and the crimper at the same time.....way to much going on to accomplish that. Here is some pics. Also put my landscape rake on the Titan mount to clean up a log landing. Will see how it works soon.

 

[River-X]

I was out doing some rollin’ and crimpin’ today also. I am running the Goliath 8 on the 3pt. Works pretty slick.

 

[Wild Thing]

Today I turned my roller 180 degrees and put it back on the three point. NIGHT AND DAY difference in operation speed and abilty to steer. I would NOT put a roller crimper back on the loader and would caution folks about doing so. Some large ag tractors do have a dedicated three point hitch....and that is another matter.....but MOST folks will be better off keeping that roller crimper on the three point.....IMO. I cannot see trying to operate a drill and the crimper at the same time.....way to much going on to accomplish that. Here is some pics. Also put my landscape rake on the Titan mount to clean up a log landing. Will see how it works soon.

I was out doing some rollin’ and crimpin’ today also. I am running the Goliath 8 on the 3pt. Works pretty slick.
View attachment 43902View attachment 43903View attachment 43904

Foggy and RiverX - Great reports. Thank you for posting. I haven't yet pulled the plug on a roller crimper but will be doing so in the not too distant future. I had contemplated going with the front mount but based upon your reports it sounds like the rear mount and crimping separately from drilling is going to be the preferred method.

Does, the Goliath come sync'd so that I can hook it up to the John Deere I-Match Quick Hitch on my tractor? I will likely go with the 8 footer.

 

[Tree Spud]

Today I turned my roller 180 degrees and put it back on the three point. NIGHT AND DAY difference in operation speed and abilty to steer. I would NOT put a roller crimper back on the loader and would caution folks about doing so. Some large ag tractors do have a dedicated three point hitch....and that is another matter.....but MOST folks will be better off keeping that roller crimper on the three point.....IMO. I cannot see trying to operate a drill and the crimper at the same time.....way to much going on to accomplish that. Here is some pics. Also put my landscape rake on the Titan mount to clean up a log landing. Will see how it works soon.

Good feedback! I had concerns when some were putting it on the loader. In addition to your findings, was concerned about the stress from the weight and continuous push on the FEL.

 

[Foggy47]

River X......thanks for showing those pics of your rolling and especially that head of flowering rye. Is there any milk or dough in those rye seeds???. My rye is flowering and looks very much like that shown in your pic.....but no milk / nothing to turn to dough. Been putting off rolling but do not want to wait much longer. Advice??

Edit: Also, wondering if you filled your roller with water? I'm considering adding more ballast to mine....as a few stems escape the crimp (like they lie in a divot).

 

[Wild Thing]

Since I don't yet have a roller/crimper I have had to rely on rolling with my cultipacker, mowing and spraying to terminate and/or lay down the previous cover crop - it just depends upon the circumstances and the time of year. This year I sprayed...

This is what it looked like when I sprayed it...


Came really close to running over a bedded fawn in this plot...


This is what it looked like a week later when I drilled my seed...


and this is what it looked like when I was done planting....






I know...it looks pretty sloppy. LOL I could go over it with my culitipacker and lay a little more down but I won't. It will lay down on it own eventually, and in a few weeks the new cover crop will be taller than any of this residue anyway. Still....I want a roller/crimper.

 

[River-X]

Foggy…I will try not to make this post too long, but have made a number of observations. First, YES, I filled mine up completely with water to get all the weight I could get. My ground is sandy loam, which if more dry, would crimp really well. BUT…we have had rain 3 out of the last 4 days and the Rye is at that “go” time, so like you, I didn’t want to wait too long and end up with viable seed on it.

Is there any moisture in the seeds…there is, it is not much, and when squeezed, it doesn’t “run” out of the seed like I have seen in YouTube videos, however, it is still in “dough” stage according to the agronomist. It can and will be terminated at this stage. To put it simply, you want to terminate at a time that the plant no longer can recover and re-establish a viable seed. Think…corn…if hail hits it before it is roughly 3 feet tall (there is an actual leaf count stage but I wont go that far in depth) it can still recover and produce an ear which will get you only a percentage of a crop insurance claim value. But if the corn gets hit by hail after the silk stage when it is pollinating, the plant can no longer recover and the crop is considered 100% loss. I hope that makes sense.

So to make this story short, I opted to terminate mine now that it has pollinated, can no longer recover, and produce viable seed with the fact that my soybeans (1/2 the field) and my Summer Release Blend (the other half of the field) is about 6 inches tall inside that Rye and the trade off of not crimping too much of my current crop of summer food while trying to terminate the Rye. If I only get 75-80% termination, that is plenty good enough. That little bit of viable rye wont bother anything in the big picture since I will be sowing more of it this fall anyways.

Hope these observations help. I am by no means a “pro” at this and am learning right along with you guys. My family has a large cash crop farm operation (corn, soybeans, wheat) and we also sold Pioneer seed for over 25 years with an agronomist on staff. We have used no till practices with soybeans and wheat in the past, but the economics of it in large ag don’t always pencil out. I’m talking 5000 plus acres though. This no till “experiment” for me is deer habitat on a couple farms that I have that I don’t farm for profit and would like to see if the soil building works as advertised.

Please chime in with questions and your own observations, and call “bullshit!” If you think I’m off base. Thats how we learn and I am completely open to any input as well.

 

[River-X]

Now, I have a few questions of my own, but I didnt want them to get lost in that long post above.
1. Has anybody found any research results or recommendations on crimping following good amounts of moisture/rain? I would assume the plant would be easier to terminate if the stalk was a bit more dry and not well hydrated like it would be following an inch of rain or more. I estimate yesterday, that 80% of the rye I knocked down had sufficient crimp to kill it, and we had 2.5” of rain the night before. In a perfect world I would have waited but didn’t want my soybeans to jump 5 inches in the next few days after that shot of rain and 80 degree sunshine forecasted for the next 4 days.

2. I do believe you get better crimp with heavier stands of Rye. The Rye in my picture was seeded at 100# to the acre, and in a couple spots where it was a little thinner, the crimp was closer to 70%. Areas where the field was seeded twice, like on the edge of the headland rows, with a much higher plant population, I saw crimping that looked closer to 100%. If anybody has seen published info on that, please share it. I searched the web for a while but didn’t find anything and I would think we will start to see more published info as this type of system is tried by more folks. This fall I am already planning on planting 130-140# to the acre of Rye to test this out.

So far, I’m having fun with this stuff. After all, thats what its all about
Chris

 

[River-X]

Foggy…I forgot one thing I was going to mention…if you have a hydraulic top link, or even if you don’t I guess, play around a bit with the tilt of how the crimper sits on the ground while in motion. I noticed a much better result with it tipped slightly back (top link extended out) and the frame of the crimper leaning back some. So many times we are told everything needs to be level with the ground and in this case, I think when level, the tractor is taking weight off the roller and you lose out on some of your “down pressure” because it is sitting on the three point instead.

 

[Foggy47]

Foggy…I will try not to make this post too long, but have made a number of observations. First, YES, I filled mine up completely with water to get all the weight I could get. My ground is sandy loam, which if more dry, would crimp really well. BUT…we have had rain 3 out of the last 4 days and the Rye is at that “go” time, so like you, I didn’t want to wait too long and end up with viable seed on it.

Is there any moisture in the seeds…there is, it is not much, and when squeezed, it doesn’t “run” out of the seed like I have seen in YouTube videos, however, it is still in “dough” stage according to the agronomist. It can and will be terminated at this stage. To put it simply, you want to terminate at a time that the plant no longer can recover and re-establish a viable seed. Think…corn…if hail hits it before it is roughly 3 feet tall (there is an actual leaf count stage but I wont go that far in depth) it can still recover and produce an ear which will get you only a percentage of a crop insurance claim value. But if the corn gets hit by hail after the silk stage when it is pollinating, the plant can no longer recover and the crop is considered 100% loss. I hope that makes sense.

So to make this story short, I opted to terminate mine now that it has pollinated, can no longer recover, and produce viable seed with the fact that my soybeans (1/2 the field) and my Summer Release Blend (the other half of the field) is about 6 inches tall inside that Rye and the trade off of not crimping too much of my current crop of summer food while trying to terminate the Rye. If I only get 75-80% termination, that is plenty good enough. That little bit of viable rye wont bother anything in the big picture since I will be sowing more of it this fall anyways.

Hope these observations help. I am by no means a “pro” at this and am learning right along with you guys. My family has a large cash crop farm operation (corn, soybeans, wheat) and we also sold Pioneer seed for over 25 years with an agronomist on staff. We have used no till practices with soybeans and wheat in the past, but the economics of it in large ag don’t always pencil out. I’m talking 5000 plus acres though. This no till “experiment” for me is deer habitat on a couple farms that I have that I don’t farm for profit and would like to see if the soil building works as advertised.

Please chime in with questions and your own observations, and call “bullshit!” If you think I’m off base. Thats how we learn and I am completely open to any input as well.

^ THIS helps me ALLOt River-X. My rye looks like yours.....and I think I am going to roll it today. As you say....I got allot under that rye that needs to be released. I do have cereal rye seed for seeding this fall....but I have read that Aroostook Rye matures about ten days earlier than Elbon rye seeds. This could be helpful to you and I in the future. Thanks for sharing what you know. Best....

 

[Foggy47]

^^^ Thanks for the points above River-x. We are all learning and, like you, I have gleaned all I can from the internet. I think I may be a bit early on rolling my rye.....but it is flowered and as you say I hate to miss a rain with the next crop coming on under that rye. Gonna terminate it today. If I get 70 to 90% termination.....I am a happy camper. Will take a few pics. Good tips on operation....and I will tip my roller back to see if it makes a difference. I too have a hydraulic top link (great item). As you did....I put down 100 lbs of rye to the acre last fall.....and I think it could be heavier too.....especially as this is my first year in building bio-mass. I agree it rolls better where thicker. I do have the GCC Summer Release under.....so that should help with the bio-mass.

This is a challenge....and indeed has been FUN!

 

[Tree Spud]

Foggy…I will try not to make this post too long, but have made a number of observations. First, YES, I filled mine up completely with water to get all the weight I could get. My ground is sandy loam, which if more dry, would crimp really well. BUT…we have had rain 3 out of the last 4 days and the Rye is at that “go” time, so like you, I didn’t want to wait too long and end up with viable seed on it.

Is there any moisture in the seeds…there is, it is not much, and when squeezed, it doesn’t “run” out of the seed like I have seen in YouTube videos, however, it is still in “dough” stage according to the agronomist. It can and will be terminated at this stage. To put it simply, you want to terminate at a time that the plant no longer can recover and re-establish a viable seed. Think…corn…if hail hits it before it is roughly 3 feet tall (there is an actual leaf count stage but I wont go that far in depth) it can still recover and produce an ear which will get you only a percentage of a crop insurance claim value. But if the corn gets hit by hail after the silk stage when it is pollinating, the plant can no longer recover and the crop is considered 100% loss. I hope that makes sense.

So to make this story short, I opted to terminate mine now that it has pollinated, can no longer recover, and produce viable seed with the fact that my soybeans (1/2 the field) and my Summer Release Blend (the other half of the field) is about 6 inches tall inside that Rye and the trade off of not crimping too much of my current crop of summer food while trying to terminate the Rye. If I only get 75-80% termination, that is plenty good enough. That little bit of viable rye wont bother anything in the big picture since I will be sowing more of it this fall anyways.

Hope these observations help. I am by no means a “pro” at this and am learning right along with you guys. My family has a large cash crop farm operation (corn, soybeans, wheat) and we also sold Pioneer seed for over 25 years with an agronomist on staff. We have used no till practices with soybeans and wheat in the past, but the economics of it in large ag don’t always pencil out. I’m talking 5000 plus acres though. This no till “experiment” for me is deer habitat on a couple farms that I have that I don’t farm for profit and would like to see if the soil building works as advertised.

Please chime in with questions and your own observations, and call “bullshit!” If you think I’m off base. Thats how we learn and I am completely open to any input as well.

This site is about learning and sharing ... keep up what you are doing

 

[Foggy47]

So....today I Roller Crimped with my Goliath 6. Seemed to work pretty well. Gonna post up some pics in no particular order. I did fill the drum with water and I think the extra weight helps penetrate a bit more on uneven ground....or where there is a field edge or some such thing. I also feel a narrow crimper (like mine) is beneficial for uneven land....rather than say a ten footer or larger as some may run. Gotta have level land for them to be effective. Also, I like my 5 foot drill as it stays behind my tractor tires (perfectly) and the Goliath 6 is just wider than my tires and he same as my bucket. Nice set up for my purposes along the timber edges.

I did have one moment of excitement.....and I feel certain part of it is operator error. I was operating in a tight plot of about 1/4 acre.....and rather than pick up and reposition the roller....I was making increasingly tight turns.....then I saw a silver object on the far end as I was turning.....and it was my lower link hairpin laying on the ground. The other one was MIA too....so I replaced the one I found and had a spare in the cab. Decided tight turns are out of the question. I really think those hitch pins that RTP furnishes is bad JuJu. Never saw another pin that fits INSIDE the area being lifted. ??? another 1/2" of material would allow fastening on the other side of the support. If RTP is listening in here.....FIX THIS! You have a better machine than to chince on a little material here. Needs a better solution.....IMO. This is the only deficient part I have seen to date.

I had about 2 acres of plots that had too much grass in them. Decided terminate those acres with cleth and see what kind of kill I get. May roll those acres next week to....just to release the remaining crop below.

EDIT: Pic 385 is a pic of two strips where I ran the cultipacker over that area. The rye is about 50% stood back up now. The cultipacker is a poor way to terminate rye....IMO. I would rather use a flail mower.....which actually got a pretty even mulch result. The thing is .....that mulch will decay quite rapidly compared to the rolled rye (I think). Tests continue at the proving grounds....grin.

EDIT II: Extending the top link all the way out....made a significant difference in the operation of the roller / crimper. Great tip....and I almost forgot to try it until I rolled a 1/2 acre or so. Made a huge difference IMO. BIG thanks to River-X

 

[River-X]

Glad to hear it went well! While operating mine, I had the top link fully extended also. Highly suggest trying this if anyone else ends up using this style of crimper. I also agree with the pin placement on the 3 pt. hook ups. Maybe they could shave a bit of steel off the 150# steel pallet they build for these and add it to the mount pins :)

 

[Brian662]

Just catching up on this thread, great stuff guys!

 

[Foggy47]

Went to my land this afternoon for a look at how much rain I got yesterday (2/10") and to check my plots that I roller crimped on Friday. Was kinda shocked to see 30% or more of my rye has stood back up. Wonder if I rolled too early? Maybe should have waited for milk or dough stage in the seed head? Kinda disappointed to see this. Not sure if I should now wait for the said condition to re-roll?.......use a flail mower and take the tops off?? or just leave it as it is???

Was hoping someone with experience here would chime in. Thanks.

 

[omicron1792]

Went to my land this afternoon for a look at how much rain I got yesterday (2/10") and to check my plots that I roller crimped on Friday. Was kinda shocked to see 30% or more of my rye has stood back up. Wonder if I rolled too early? Maybe should have waited for milk or dough stage in the seed head? Kinda disappointed to see this. Not sure if I should now wait for the said condition to re-roll?.......use a flail mower and take the tops off?? or just leave it as it is???

Was hoping someone with experience here would chime in. Thanks.

Was reading about that last night. With us doing this has hobby and not on a huge timeline, why not just roll it again?

Most of the cover crop websites say that rolling multiple times or light herbicide might be needed.