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Agronomic Row Crops
Cultivator Sweeps, Knives and Wings
1. Point-and-share (three-piece) sweeps
(14" to 27" wide, for straight shanks) use a pair of replaceable,
two-edged shares that usually lay flat to slice weeds. Replaceable
point fractures soil, increasing penetration.
See: Erisman, Kenagy, Thompson
2. One-Piece, No-Till Sweeps
(6" to 28" wide, for straight shanks) have a flat-crown, low wing
(shoulder) angle. These sweeps leave row middles flat; slice through
tall weeds and uproot shallow ones.
See: Bennett, Erisman, Hattaway, Kenagy, Thompson,
Thacker
3. Pointed Row-Crop Sweep (4" to 7" wide, for
S-tines). Better penetration than wider sweeps, more coverage than
narrower shovels. Low-profile sweeps give similar soil mixing and
weed impact as one-piece sweeps; moderate profile (higher center
zone) causes greater mixing.
See: McKaskle
4. Duckfoot sweep (2" to 7" wide,
for S-tines) provides good penetration of hard soil, significant
soil mixing and weed uprooting (not slicing).
See: Chambers, Foster
5. Vegetable (Beet or Delta) Knife
(8" to 30" wide, for straight shanks). For close cultivation in
clean-tillage fields. A long, flat vertical face runs parallel to
the row to protect the crop while a thin, flat sweep extends into
the row middle. Mounted on straight or offset (dog-leg) standards.
See: deWilde, Foster, Haines, Kenagy, McKaskle,
Muller, Thacker
6. Ridging Wings (on no-till
sweeps) divert soil into row area to bury weeds and create an elevated
ridge of soil for next year’s planting at the same row position
as the current year. Often width-adjustable and hinged to swing
upward on the standard into a storage position during non-use. Usually
used at last cultivation.
See: Thompson
Next section
Agronomic Tool Index
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