What is a Subsoiler?
Subsoiling is a soil management technique which is not only commonly used by farmers to reduce soil compaction and get the best out of crop production, but also is used to manage quality food plots for wildlife. However, subsoiling is generally overlooked or misunderstood by many food plot managers.
Breaking the hardpan layer of the soil is often referred as “subsoiling,”. The process is done to break up the soil upto depths of two feet and waste layers of compacted soil letting water and roots to enter it. Multiple implements can be used for subsoiling such as a chisel plough also commonly known as a “subsoiler”.
How a Subsoiler works?
A subsoiler do not invert or turn the soil like a mould-board plough which is used to prepare the farm for planting; they work with heavy-duty steel shanks tipped with blades that drive deep into the soil and are pulled along to break the hardpan layers under the surface. While the subsoiler is pulled along some soil is brought to the surface, but it seems like a small trench-like furrows or lines that is left by the shanks of the subsoiler. The number of rounds required to effectively break the hardpan layers will depend on the width/number of shanks on the subsoiler being used and severity of the hardpan.
Although subsoiling can play a major role in soil management effectively when its needed to break hardpan layers of the subsoil, but there can also be some limiting factors like extreme weather conditions and other. Subsoiling is indeed a good farming practice and subsoiler is a tool for mostly used by wildlife managers to enhance the growth and survival of food plot plants resulting into healthy crops and healthier wildlife ultimately.
