Cover Crop Roller Benefits:
- Cover crop management without herbicides or tillage
- Reduced herbicide use in conventional no till farming systems
- Mulching effects and barrier attributes of cover crop are maximized
- Rolling and compressing improves the weed suppression of the cover crop
- Reduction of water evaporation from the soil
- Better incorporation of crop residue in organic farming
- Standard 8', 10.5', and 15' widths
- Can be built any size up to 40' wide
- Call for quotes on all sizes
- Mounted with a three point hitch with hydraulic lift
- This farm roller is ground driven
- Blades are arranged in chevron pattern to prevent bouncing
- Blades are welded and replacement blades can be bolted on as needed
- Blades on the drum are spaced 8" apart
- Cylinder is 16" diameter
- Water or other liquid can be added for added weight to improve performance of crop rolling
- Weight of the 10.5' Cover Crop Roller is 1600 lbs empty and 2400 lbs filled with water
- The Cover Crop Roller can be mounted on a front end loader
- The Crop Roller can be pulled with horses
This cover crop of wheat and hairy vetch is ready to be rolled. Rodale researchers recommend waiting for at least 50% bloom for maximum success.
This is the same field 18 days later. The mulch will increase weed suppression and helps reduce soil water evaporation.
Crop Roller Development
Cover Crop Roller No-till and organic farmers deal with cover crop management as part of their no-till, organic farming operations will appreciate the Cover Crop Roller developed and patented by The Rodale Institute. Read an in-depth article about the development of the Cover Crop Roller, at The New Farm, an online magazine of The Rodale Institute.
Briefly, the Cover Crop Roller was developed to overcome the shortcomings of knocking down an existing cover crop and then planting on no-till farms. Finding the right equipment for cover crop management has been the biggest barrier to no-till farming. Now, with a no-till planter attached to the back of the tractor and the Cover Crop Roller mounted to the front, a farmer can roll and plant all in the same pass! Read more about the benefits and specifications of the Cover Crop Roller here.
The rolling and crimping action of the blades will transform a field of vetch, rye or other cover crop into a thick, weed suppressing mulch.
In the photo above, the plow-till corn on the left was actually planted a few weeks earlier than the no-till corn on the right. The no-till corn is already taller and more vigorous in growth.
Front Crop Roller
Trailed Crop Roller
