Whitelees Forest Ploughing Trial
Photograph is courtesy and copyright of Forestry Commission, Forest Research, Roslin, and provided with help from Glen Brearley. FR Photo number No A6159 taken by Donald A Thompson.
Ploughing trial in deep peat at Whitelees Forest where several double furrow ploughs were trialled. The search was on for a suitable plough head that would turn out a soil/peat ridge either side of a deep plough furrow in a variety of soil/peat types. The major aim was to create a more wind stable platform for trees to grow on as older trees frequently blew down and rolled over the whole platform on areas ploughed with a single furrow plough. A by product was a much reduced cost of ploughing.
A major problem with double furrow ploughing was to consistantly achieve 2.0m planting positions across the plough furrow and also across the platform from one ridge to the next. To ensure this the peat profile cut and lifted out from the furrow by the plough had to be split evenly either side and then be placed with their edges as close to the furrow edge as shown in above image. The traditional large double furrow ploughs were usually too wide and also ploughed too deep causing the planting distance across the furrow to rise up towards to 3.0m. This is likely to have been the case with the results from this plough head a D75/-/t. (‘D’- Double furrow ‘75’ cms designed plough depth/’-‘ nil Tine/’t’ trailed plough as opposed to ‘m’ mounted)
The PDF shows a range of plough head results and are in the following order:
1. D/60/-/t Mk VI looks good but head too deep and distance across furrow well over 2.0m
2. Above head with side coulter discs on – plough ridge tends to break away from the furrow edge and planting positions severely compromised.
3. D/60/-/t Mk IV with side discs – planting positions as above.
4. D60/-/t Mk II with side discs – ridge braking loose and rolling over thus severely compromising planting positions.
5. D60/-/t Mk 1 West Scotland version of EEM Taylor’s peat plough designed for T500. Very neat ploughing. Turf ridge held close to furrow edge. Planting on platform side of ridge keeps tree roots away from early sharp drop off down furrow edge but to get spacing across furrow nearer to 2.0m would have to plant in middle of the peat ridge. Plough body appears to be a little wide and furrow not well rounded on its bottom.
6. D45/-/t Old version of Cuthbertson P type plough results. It looks a bit of disaster!
7. D90/-/t ploughing at 75cms. A real disaster!!
8. D60/T90/t Trial. To deep and far too wide across the furrow!
Eventually a D60 double furrow as developed which if kept at a modest depth provided planting ridges at reasonable distances apart to provide acceptable planting positions for a large percentage of times. The results however varied significantly with different types of peat and if dry and tough the plough ridges could go all over the place. One great disadvantage with the double furrow was the lack of a cut step for planting in, the Logan sock did not work on them. This author tried many systems of welding L shaped dozer blade edges onto the sides of the plough mould boards with only modest success – worked quite well on one type of peat then less so in other types. Rocks and stones soon removed the additions as well.
Download Large Version (191kB)
Groups: Forest Research, Forestry Areas, Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines