Seedbank management starts before drilling. Väderstad carried out a field study in Germany to see how different disc setups and working speeds were associated with the emergence of winter wheat volunteers and black-grass before drilling.
Uneven soil contact affects how consistently weed seeds and volunteer cereals germinate. A fine, even, shallow and full-width cultivation gives seeds the soil contact, light and moisture they need to emerge before drilling. Seeds that emerge before drilling can then be controlled before the crop is sown.
Black-grass emerges mainly from the top 1–3 cm of soil. It germinates better in light and needs fine soil contact and moisture. It can also emerge from greater depths when conditions are right, but at much lower rates.
The risk of dormancy increases with depth, which can contribute to the seedbank. Those seeds may then emerge in later years or following subsequent tillage.
The study compared how different disc setups and working speeds were associated with the emergence of winter wheat volunteers and black-grass before drilling.
The study was carried out in Frömmstedt, Thuringia, in south-east Germany, on 28 July 2026. Carrier XL was the test platform.
This field study was conducted alongside a related study examining how disc type and disc configuration affect straw distribution. While straw distribution could be assessed directly after cultivation, the emergence results presented here were evaluated several weeks later.
Six setups were tested in the same field on the same day. Each setup was repeated three times. Working speeds were 15 km/h and 20 km/h. The Carrier XL 725 with CrossCutter Disc Aggressive worked at 3 cm depth, while the Carrier XL 625 with TrueCut worked at 5–6 cm. The plots were driven across the main driving direction of the field. This made measuring easier and safer.
Emerged winter wheat volunteers and black-grass plants were counted per m² in fixed frames and separated by species.
Counts were taken before drilling, allowing emergence to be compared between the different setups.
Emergence of both winter wheat volunteers and black-grass increased across the six tested setups. The highest counts were recorded with three rows of CrossCutter Disc Aggressive working at 20 km/h.
The setups differed in disc type, number of disc rows, working speed and, between the TrueCut and CrossCutter Disc Aggressive configurations, working depth. The results should therefore be interpreted as comparisons between the tested setups rather than as isolated effects of each individual factor.
| Setup | Speed | Depth | Winter wheat volunteers (plants/m²) | Black-grass (plants/m²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 rows TrueCut (baseline) | 15 km/h | 5–6 cm | 88 | 96 |
| 2 rows TrueCut + 1 row CrossCutter Disc Aggressive | 15 km/h | 5–6 cm | 113 | 175 |
| 2 rows TrueCut + 1 row CrossCutter Disc Aggressive | 20 km/h | 5–6 cm | 127 | 181 |
| 2 rows CrossCutter Disc Aggressive | 15 km/h | 3 cm | 127 | 198 |
| 3 rows CrossCutter Disc Aggressive | 15 km/h | 3 cm | 160 | 223 |
| 3 rows CrossCutter Disc Aggressive | 20 km/h | 3 cm | 179 | 263 |
At 15 km/h, the two-row TrueCut setup working at 5–6 cm resulted in 88 winter wheat volunteers and 96 black-grass plants/m².
The two-row CrossCutter Disc Aggressive setup working at 3 cm resulted in 127 winter wheat volunteers and 198 black-grass plants/m².
Because both disc type and working depth differed between these setups, the difference cannot be attributed to disc type alone.
At 15 km/h, two rows of CrossCutter Disc Aggressive resulted in 127 winter wheat volunteers and 198 black-grass plants/m². Three rows resulted in 160 winter wheat volunteers and 223 black-grass plants/m².
With the TrueCut setup, adding a third CrossCutter Disc Aggressive row increased emergence from 88 to 113 winter wheat volunteers and from 96 to 175 black-grass plants/m².
With TrueCut and a third CrossCutter Disc Aggressive row, increasing working speed from 15 to 20 km/h increased emergence from 113 to 127 winter wheat volunteers and from 175 to 181 black-grass plants/m².
With three rows of CrossCutter Disc Aggressive, the same increase in working speed raised emergence from 160 to 179 winter wheat volunteers and from 223 to 263 black-grass plants/m².
Three rows of CrossCutter Disc Aggressive at 20 km/h produced the highest emergence recorded in the study.
Emergence increased across the tested setups. Compared with the baseline, three rows of CrossCutter Disc Aggressive at 20 km/h resulted in:
For a stale seedbed, encouraging weed seeds and volunteer cereals to emerge before drilling creates an opportunity to control them before the crop is established.
The results show clear differences in emergence between the tested cultivation setups. The highest counts were recorded with three rows of CrossCutter Disc Aggressive working at 20 km/h.
An even, shallow and full-width cultivation with good soil contact creates favourable conditions for stale seedbed emergence. The final setup should always be adapted to soil type, residue conditions, working depth and cultivation strategy.
CrossCutter Disc provides full cultivation at only 2-3cm working depth. It’s unique cutting intensity crushes, chops and mulches in one single pass. CrossCutter Disc performs outstanding in oilseed rape stubble and in cover crops, while also enabling great advantages in grain stubble and on ploughed land.
The new third disc axle front tool adds 50% more tools to the ground, delivering higher intensity, more mixing, and stronger emergence of weeds and leftover seeds. All while preserving soil moisture and structure. The third disc axle is available for Carrier XL 425-725, Carrier XT 425-625 and Carrier 925.
Tillage intensity is not always suited to a one-size-fits-all approach. Soil conditions can vary significantly within the same field, with lighter and heavier areas requiring different levels of cultivation intensity.
To better understand these differences, Väderstad conducted a 2024-2025 field study in Denmark using variable tillage controlled by prescription mapping. The study investigated how different tillage intensities affected yield, fuel consumption and field efficiency under varying soil conditions.
Row spacing influences crop establishment, canopy development and competition for resources throughout the growing season. To better understand how row spacing in canola and wheat affects crop performance, Väderstad conducted a canola and wheat row spacing trial near Crossfield, Alberta, Canada. The trial evaluated how different row spacings influenced crop development and yield under the growing conditions experienced in 2025.
Seed and fertiliser represent a significant investment in crop production. Optimising seeding rates is therefore an important step in maximising yield potential while reducing unnecessary input costs. To better understand how different plant populations influence crop performance, Väderstad conducted a canola and wheat seeding rate trial near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, using Seed Hawk air seeders. The study evaluated how different seeding rates affected crop establishment and yield under the growing conditions experienced in 2025.
Lentils are characterised by limited competitiveness against weeds and relatively few herbicide options. At the same time, dense crop stands can increase the risk of disease development under favourable conditions. To better understand how seeding rate influences crop establishment, crop competitiveness and yield, Väderstad conducted a lentil seeding rate trial near Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Canada, using Seed Hawk air seeders. The trial evaluated how different plant populations performed under the growing conditions experienced in 2025.
Soil compaction can restrict root development and limit crop performance. To better understand how compaction tillage and prescription tillage technology can be used to manage soil compaction more precisely, Väderstad conducted a compaction tillage study near Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada. The study combined compaction mapping, automated depth control and a Wil-Rich 357 Inline Ripper to evaluate site-specific tillage under practical field conditions.
Straw distribution plays an important role in tillage performance. Disc type, disc configuration and working speed can all influence how crop residues are redistributed during cultivation. To better understand these effects, Väderstad conducted a field study under practical field conditions in Germany.
