Growers know that preparing fields for planting, especially following Bt corn, really begins at harvest. They require a tillage solution that's rugged, productive and agronomically sound to properly condition soil and residue in advance of later planting operations.
That's the sweet spot for the new Case IH ecolo-tiger 870. It combines a solid frame design with innovative shanks, disks and optional leveling attachments to size and settle tough soil clods and residues while operating up to an industry-leading 7mph.
"We talked to a lot of farmers, and they're looking for a disk ripper that will size and mix residue for dependable flow, not just bury it, and is easy to operate," says Rob Zemenchik, Case IH tillage marketing manager. "The ecolo-tiger 870 gets rid of compaction and soil clods while sizing tough crop residues for nutrient release in sync with crop demand. It provides a good environment for planting operations, yet maintains the benefits of a mulch.
"Our customers will be better positioned to take advantage of early planting dates, high plant populations and high yield potential environments due to the productivity of the 870," Zemenchik says.
Sizing residue and soil
The ecolo-tiger 870 comes with 24-inch individual disks or optional huge 26-inch cushion gang disks. Twelve-inch spacing between gang disks, with a split-the-middle gang position front to back, reduces stalk size for improved flow and better mixing.
Cutting, and not just burying the stalks means better seed-to-soil contact in the seedbed, and more readily available nutrients in the soil. "Following corn, it's estimated that at today's fertilizer prices there can be potentially $100 worth of nutrient value locked up in the crop residue. When the biological cycling of those nutrients in the soil solution matches early planting dates we can boost early-season crop vigor and capture that value," Zemenchik says.
Sizing crop residue has become more of an issue with the adoption of Bt corn hybrids, Zemenchik says. "In part, it's related to lignin, a glue-like polymer that acts like wire in the stalk. The newer Bt hybrids are shown to have a much higher percentage, 18 percent to 25 percent in test results, compared to the same hybrids without Bt, so you need aggressive disk components capable of cutting and mixing the tougher stalks."
Optional, patented double-edged reels handle sizing of soil clods out the back. "There's a unique arch in the reel blades. They're much stronger than helical flats to withstand shock and the baskets are close-coupled to the frame," Zemenchik says. "They do an excellent job of sizing clods and filling in soil voids. This really pays off come spring, enabling faster and shallower field operations."
Soil compaction, most often resulting from equipment traffic rather than true "plowpans," also needs to be managed.
"Farmers have told us that they're in the root business and soils must be free of root- limiting compaction for top yield potential. They're looking for even, full-depth fracture of compaction on all shanks," Zemenchik says. "With the ecolo-tiger 870 all shanks run at full depth. They're spaced 24 inches on center and come with 2-inch or 7-inch tiger points to bust out deep wheel tracks. We've also redesigned the shank shape and trip mechanism for better mixing, flow, rock protection and wear life."
Dependable productivity
A solid design with reliable parts is required for dependable performance, so a large, stable frame and durable attachments were used from front to back. "We built this strong," Zemenchik says. "The ecolo-tiger 870 has huge main frame tubes, large rock shafts and all of the ground engaging components are engineered for performance. We know that growers want to go to the field with confidence."
Productivity is unsurpassed. At an operating speed of 7 mph the 7-shank model will till 12 acres an hour. The 9-shank, 11-shank, and 13-shank models will cover 15, 19 and 22 acres an hour, respectively, at 7 mph. Combined with Accuguide Autoguidance, these speeds offer new opportunities for efficiencies on labor, fuel and machinery.
Underframe clearance of 36 inches, with no shank within 36" of its neighbor, maximizes material flow and minimizes plugging, contributing to the high-speed productivity of the ecolo-tiger 870.
"Getting the machines from field to field is another consideration. Farmers are looking for narrow transport widths and the 7-, 9- and 11-shank models of the ecolo-tiger 870 will all be less than 17 feet, inside the tires for most matching 4-wheel drive tractors," Zemenchik says.
Stable, rugged running gear handles the load. It features 8-bolt or 10-bolt wheels, high-performance tires and heavy duty replaceable spindles. The running gear lays back, so it's pulled through the field and not pushed, which stabilizes the machine for high speed.
Operator friendly
Ease of operation is important, Zemenchik says. The ecolo-tiger 870 is designed with a Perfect Hitch and a big A-frame to protect the jack and hose stands and for easy hook-up. There's also a single-point adjustment for depth control, and simple hand adjustment for fore-aft leveling.
Servicing the ecolo-tiger 870 was a consideration. "We used high-density poly bushings and surfaces on all rock shafts, shank pivots and disk leveler arms, and used sealed bearings on the leveler. Fewer grease points and improved dependability mean more time working the field and a better return on investment," Zemenchik says.
"Our customers helped make our disk-ripper implements industry leaders for nearly two decades. We listened to them, drew from our experience to match trends in cropping practices and genetics, and have taken more than two million field measurements to evaluate overall performance," Zemenchik says. "The Case IH ecolo-tiger 870 sets the standard for rugged productivity."
For more information, visit www.caseih.com
