Innovative method for cover crop termination using engine exhaust heat

Proper management of cover crops in conservation system is the key to achieving effective no-till planting of cash crops into desiccated residue cover without interfering with planting operations. One method of cover crop management is mechanical termination utilizing a rolling/crimping technique to injure the plant with the crimping bars without cutting stems. Another method is to injure plants using a heat source. To evaluate this concept at a small farm scale, a mechanical pusher using exhaust heat from the internal combustion gasoline engine with supplemental heat from heater strips was developed to terminate cover crops. The prototype was developed for a walk-behind tractor powered by a single cylinder gasoline engine. Heat to damage plant tissue was directed from the exhaust manifold to a rectangular perforated delivery steel tube that was in continuous contact with the cover crop that had been flattened by the pusher. In addition, a generator powered by the tractor’s PTO provided electrical energy for three parallel supplemental heater strips. Results demonstrated that using exhaust heat (otherwise lost to the environment) is a viable option to manage cover crops.