What is ultra-shallow tillage?
Ultra-shallow tillage is a modern conservation tillage technique based on very shallow loosening of only the topsoil layer โ at a depth of just 2โ5 cm. The aim of this operation is to cut weeds and volunteer plants and to mix a thin surface layer of soil with chopped crop residues, without turning the soil.
What are the advantages of ultra-shallow tillage?
Unlike ploughing (25โ30 cm depth), which disrupts the entire soil structure, tillage at 2โ5 cm affects only the โtraceโ of the surface layer, leaving deeper soil profiles almost untouched. As a result, the soil retains its natural layer organisation and biological processes (organic matter decomposition, microbial activity) are not interrupted.
Ultra-shallow tillage is often used as stubble cultivation, i.e. post-harvest tillage (more in Chapter 1 of e-book 2). Because it cuts and mixes only the surface, it does not bury weed seeds or volunteers. This causes unwanted plants to germinate quickly and be destroyed in subsequent passes or by frost, instead of โwaitingโ in the soil for years. Limiting the soil seed bank means lower herbicide costs.
In addition, shallow loosening reduces water evaporation โ disturbed but unturned soil retains moisture better, benefiting both following crops and uniform weed emergence (making control easier).
Important! Ultra-shallow tillage means minimal soil disturbance โ a fast and cost-effective operation that delivers a wide range of agronomic benefits.
Practical use of ultra-shallow tillage: when and why?
Ultra-shallow tillage is gaining popularity on both large farms and smaller holdings as part of sustainable agriculture trends. When and why should it be used?
After harvesting the main crop
As mentioned above, it is most often carried out immediately after harvest. In a single fast pass, stubble is loosened to 3โ5 cm and mixed with chopped straw. This helps retain valuable soil moisture during the post-harvest period โ the mulch layer reduces soil heating and drying under summer sun. This is crucial in dry years: shallow tillage acts like a โdressingโ that protects soil from drought โ unlike ploughing, after which soil rapidly loses water.
Shallow cultivation also helps reduce pest pressure. For example, immediate shallow discing of maize stubble with knife rollers destroys residues that host corn borer larvae, reducing populations of this dangerous pest.
Interesting fact: Ultra-shallow tillage is one element of an agrotechnical practice known as the "stale seedbed" (also called a โfalse sowingโ or โfalse seedbedโ). This is a weed-control method based on shallow soil disturbance and preparing the surface as if for sowing the main crop, in order to stimulate unwanted plants to germinate, and then eliminating them โ also shallowly โ so as not to activate dormant seeds located deeper in the soil. This approach helps reduce herbicide use and tackle weeds that have developed resistance to chemical control.
Before / together with cover-crop sowing
In addition, creating a few centimetres of loose, moist soil on the surface provides ideal conditions for rapid cover-crop establishment. Cover-crop seeds sown into such a field germinate easily in moist soil, and their growth is not hindered by a dry clod layer or by being buried too deeply. This allows efficient introduction of a cover crop that protects the soil over winter.
Important! Many farms use a combination such as: ultra-shallow tillage + cover-crop sowing with a dedicated implement in a single pass. This strategy makes use of crop residues as a natural protective mulch while simultaneously and quickly sowing cover plants (phacelia, mustard, mixtures) that improve soil fertility.
Before sowing the main crop
Ultra-shallow tillage also works very well as part of field preparation before sowing the next main crop. In many cases, after shallow post-harvest tillage and cover cropping, seeds can be sown into mulch in spring, eliminating the need for traditional ploughing. Thanks to shallow tillage, the soil surface is level and free of large clods, enabling precise sowing without turning the soil. In addition, a significant amount of organic matter remains in the field and partially decomposes over winter โ soil richer in humus warms up faster and retains water better, giving crops a better start to the season.
Tools for ultra-shallow tillage
To effectively cultivate soil to a depth of just a few centimetres, specialised tools are required. A conventional plough is not suitable here โ instead, tillage implements adapted for shallow operation are used. These machines typically operate at high working speeds (up to 15โ20 km/h), allowing effective weed cutting and intensive mixing of the topsoil layer with chopped straw. It is worth choosing solutions from manufacturers specialising in conservation-agriculture equipment, such as the Polish company Rolmako. What options does a farmer have?
Knife rollers
Examples include the double knife rollers TurboCut and TurboCut Plus (a knife roller combined with a cutting harrow) as well as the ProCut knife roller (a tandem knife-roller design โ a slightly lighter construction requiring less tractor power). These rollers are mounted on the front three-point linkage and are ideal for combination with other tools, enabling effective and shallow stubble cultivation with fewer passes. The maximum working depth of these tools is 3 cm.
Innovation! A knife roller with straight blades can be replaced by a spiral cutting roller which, thanks to its unique geometry, penetrates smoothly during cutting of stubble or plant residues. This reduces vibration and improves both work quality and operator comfort. In a tandem configuration (two rollers with opposite spiral directions), the cross-cutting effect is even better.
From Rolmako:
TurboCut โ two cutting rollers with straight blades mounted at an angle (or spiral rollers),
TurboCut Plus โ knife roller with wavy cutting discs,
ProCut โ tandem knife-roller system.
Disc harrows with special disc geometry
An example of a disc harrow specifically designed for shallow tillage is the SpeedCutter, ideal for aggregation with TurboCut and ProCut. The wavy disc with refined geometry works at a depth of 2โ5 cm at high working speeds, ensuring precise cutting and mixing of residues.
From Rolmako:
SpeedCutter disc harrow for ultra-shallow tillage
Rotary harrows
The Matrix rotary harrow was designed for inter-row cultivation (maize, oilseed rape, cereals, soybean and others). The implement works at a depth of up to 4 cm โ mechanically removing weeds while protecting the main crop and breaking surface crusts. It is also suitable for grassland maintenance, shallow fertiliser mixing and ultra-shallow stubble cultivation.
From Rolmako:
Matrix rotary harrow
Mulching harrows
One of the mulching harrows available on the market is the SpringExpert harrow, suitable for stubble cultivation after cereals and oilseed rape, as well as for rapid levelling and warming of the topsoil layer after winter. Long, durable working tines, thanks to their vibration, initially mix residues and thoroughly shake out weed and volunteer seeds (which can then be destroyed with the same tool in a second pass after emergence). In addition, the harrow breaks molehills and slug nests (slugs and rodents are a challenge in no till farming).
From Rolmako:
SpringExpert mulching harrow..
Cultivator combinations
Combinations allow the properties of all the above tools to be brought together (of course in appropriate configurations). Rolmako offers, for example, the ComboTill implement โ a combination of a cultivator and a mulching harrow. This is a versatile tool for use throughout most of the season (maximum working depth 15 cm, so it is not limited to ultra-shallow use):
- Summer โ stubble cultivation or mechanical weed destruction (as a second or third pass),
- Autumn โ autumn pre-sowing cultivation to crumble soil (providing better emergence conditions for cereals, grasses or oilseed rape),,
- Spring โ spring seedbed preparation (e.g. deeper loosening before maize cultivation), loosening and warming the soil after winter.
From Rolmako:
ComboTill cultivator and mulching harrow combination.
In the context of new environmental requirements and subsidy schemes (eco-schemes promoting soil-conserving agriculture), ultra-shallow tillage is an attractive solution โ combining economic benefits with environmental protection. Farmers reducing ploughing and adopting shallow tillage report lower fuel and labour costs as well as improved soil condition, which rewards them with better structure and stable yields. It can therefore be said with confidence that minimum disturbance translates into maximum benefits โ for the soil, for yields and for the farmโs bottom line.
All ultra-shallow tillage machines from the Rolmako range, together with detailed specifications, can be found at: https://rolmako.com/ultra-shallow-cultivation.html
