Plow day with Professor Gierok. Video could have been hours long and I would have watched every minute of it. This ride along while plowing is becoming a highly anticipated yearly tradition.
Last fall i chopped corn for the first time seeded rye after and grazed it. Gotta say cows did really well on it. Something to look into if your short on feed in the spring i do agree molbord is good if used the right way
Its pretty evident that pops likes to teach and inform. Always ready to share knowledge. Whats significant is how much he gets done. In my experience farmers usually stand there shootin the bull all day and get nothin done, or you chase one around all day just to hear 2 words on how to do something . It's pretty unique to find a farmer with the passion to teach, and the wisdom to know when to move on and get somthin done.
That rye is very nice and thick! Soil looks great. I think that plow is the same we had when I was a kid. .. Next year leave some rye standing and plant corn with your new no-till planter directly into the standing rye. When the corn emerges, run a cultipacker down and back to flatten any stand ups the other way. That straw mulch mat will block weeds until the corn canopies.
Great video. One thing I've noticed is that you still seem to use alot of One way ploughs in the US. Here in the UK almost everyone uses reversible ploughs. Even on small farms. Don't know whether that's the case or just the channels I'm watching. Thanks for the video. All the best 🇬🇧.
Howdy George, I hope ya'll are doing well, I definitely love doing tillage, I look forward to it, especially moldboard plowing, that is so satisfying, I could do that all day long, and not get bored in the least, you got some Cool views with your go-pro, the 1 on the rim of tire was 1 I've never seen before, that was Cool George, keep getting those unique views, with your go-pro, Stay safe, God Bless and Farm on my Friends
Fantastic! George's videos are kinda like having my Grandpa back, who was a master gardener and raised award-winning waterfowl. He could talk forever and never be boring.
When I was a kid, we plowed in the fall.. Prior to plowing , the field was spread with manure & it was turned under .. Our ground was poor , but my dad had several tricks to add nitrogen & he spread lime to balance the soil... We always had great hay & corn compared to our neighbors ... One huge plus was our neighbors feed lots.. He kept about 200 head & if we scraped the pad & paddock , he gave us the manure ... My dad let it compost for a year before he applied it & it just looked like black soil.. P.S....the oldest part of the manure pile was a great place to dig worms for fishing...
I had that same 550 international plow, 5x14, for 40 years. $150. From a neighbor's sale. A well built piece. I used it to plow down alfalfa. You'll not regret putting new shares, shins, and pads on it, it really makes a difference. Really a well engineered plow except the throats are too small for corn stalks out of the picker. Good to see it getting a work out. Best regards from Indiana.
Thanks so much George. Really enjoyed watching you plow. I'm right there with you. My Dad and Grandpa were plow men. I don't do it like we used to but I still believe it needs turned every few years. Yes sir that's going to grow some beautiful corn and it is going to hold moisture in the root zone too besides the nutrients. You are a good farmer and I appreciate you making the videos for us to watch as I am not a full time farmer anymore but I have 4 more years to retire and then I will be back at it with more time than I have now to do more of it. Hope y'all have a great season.
Enjoyed your moldboard plowing video. Brings back memories of growing up on a small dairy farm in Iowa. Started out pulling 2-16"s behind a 2 cylinder John Deere. When I got to high school age we got a 65 horse tractor and were able to pull 4-14's. Wow we really thought we were doing something then. Glad you didn't lose the camera ....otherwise might not get to see any more of your great videos!!!
Great explanation of how and why you prepare your crop ground and the benefits that process bring to you and your family. Great job keeping your headlands even. Having grown up during the 1960s plowing was the only way to go. I do recall, if we didn’t keep our headlands even, it made a real mess when we rolled the headlands and made issues for tillage and planting. As always, thanks for sharing and taking me back to time of tremendous satisfaction.
My dad tied #9 wire 8 to 10 foot long on each coulter shaft trailing back behind plow, even in 3 & 1/2 ft tall sweet clover, it turned over completely black( an old Iowa farmer trick) I’ve never seen any farmer do this except my Dad( a 2nd generation Danish Iowan farmer), too bad farmers don’t hardly plow in Iowa anymore, we always put away plow greased with sticky axle grease, luv your videos- retired in western Iowa.
Interesting to hear your commentary as you work. The only moldboard plowing we do is breaking out old hay strips for corn. We use the coulter chisel on stalks and bean stubble. Have seeded leftover seed wheat in fall bean stubble. Between the wheat and pen-pack manure, the soil tilth seems to be improving.
WOW, thank you for takng the time to share what ur thinkng about soil management..this is something overlookd in residential/urban areas where "let hire a landscaper" is the rule. I appreciate there no perfect way to farm..just what works for each farmer, grow cover crop, turn it over to replenish the soil, and grown corn silage. Take the time to check while workng to make sure all is good.
Thanks for a great video I always loved plowing a field I think crops always turn out a lot better. Also wanted to say thank you for all your great videos and thanks for being a farmer but more than that thanks for being a diary farmer, god bless you and your whole family.
Mould board plowing was all we did on our farm. We always had good crops. We spread our manure in each field we were going to plow. Us we put it on our hayfields.
That first field looked like my best compost pile with lose, dark, beautiful soil. The best. I like your strategy and appreciate the reasons behind it. I'll bet it smelled lovely and should hold the moisture well. Hope this is a bumper year for you. Thanks for the ride, even though it felt like being on a ride at the fair at one point.
For being worn out and missing a point or two it’s still doing a pretty good job 🤘finally a farmer that ploughs at a good speed to tho that helps tons lol I see guys doing like 3 mph and can’t flip anything over. Ya need at least 5 mph for most ploughs. Our kvernland variomat eo large frame 6 bottom rollover with skimmers I run up to 7 mph and it loves it. Buries6-7 foot tall old weeds and grass no problem on an old field that hadn’t been touched in a few years.
Another great video with detailed explanations about treating and your methods handling your soil. Love it! Very interesting, learn a lot. Thank you and all farmers for your hard work to bring food to our tables! 👍👍
we had one like that in the early 70's , pulled it with an Allis XT190!I'm with you, Dad!!Take it from this old farmer, that's nice plowing for as tall as the Rye is, most of it's under, and it does make good fertilizer! i am a moldboard guy, one of my favorite jobs!
I love the way yaw farm u us everything in ur toolbox without spending a bunch of of money on weed killer & fertilizer.u are what I call a smart farmer.would love to work for u for month to soak up some ur knowledge .love the channel lot different then most farm channel don’t change how yaw film channel
My Dad bought a 4010 diesel in April 1961 with a 5-15 JD fully mounted plow. Two problems 1. Couldn't control the tractor with plow out of the ground. 2. Corn stalks plugging. Finally traded for IH 4-16s like yours -- both problems gone.
Some of my best days were spent on my neighbor's MF1100, with the same kind of plow, plowing in April on my Grandmother's farm and land around the area. Back then everyone was moldboard plowing, and you could tell by the sound of all the tractors working they were indeed plowing. In the 70's and 80's almost nobody had a cab tractor, days like this in the 70's or 80 were just right for operating in the field. One big mistake I and many others made then, were not wearing sunscreen or a long sleeve shirt!!!! Been paying for that mistake ever since going the dermatologist!!!
Yea, you don’t see much of that anymore. Dad use to plow every fall during the years of dairy farming an my grandfather also. Ours was a Massey Furguson 5 bottom semi mount. First few years he had the 730 case diesel open station some chilly nights or days. Than got a cab tractor in the early 80’s a that became the workhorse for plowing, bailing, chopping, working up land. The 730 came on the hay bine, blower. Loved operating the ol case.
This is why a relatively small dairy farmer and family like you all are still in business and prospering, doing things right, for all the right reasons, preserving all or your farm and soils, and not wasting money on things many farmers think they just have to have to keep up with the Jones!!! You all demonstrate how really taking care of your entire farm is the right way to go for the long haul, while taking the best care of your environment and everything around it
Actually plowing under the cover crop is a waste of money. The main benefits of a cover crop are it’s root system and the matting effect that you get by crimping it and planting directly into it.
Great video. I miss the days plowing when I was in WI. You are so right about so many things, like don’t go to fast just keep moving. Great straight line starting in the second field. Your years of experience shows ! Thanks again
I think keeping it old school is sometimes best. This is how I was raised and helped the neighbors farming. Granted it was back in the 70's. Man watching this brings back good memories!
That was great plow filming from different view-points,and the comments where interresting because of your experience in doing this work..Thanks,I'll be back for more.
just trying cover crop after peas. sprayed to kill it this year. I like the idea of plowing it under but its always been taboo to do spring plowing in southeast minnesota. Everything is a constant experiment.
When I was a kid Grandpaw grew ,wheat, beans & corn. In early spring he would sow red clover into the wheat, next spring we ;lowed the clover for corn.
There's nothing on the farm that smells better than being in a field plowing . Even city folks would enjoy the smells of dirt as a field is being plowed .
Onelonyfarmer had some videos of broadcasting rye and wheat and then VTed the field at about an inch deep and zero degree angle. I've done rye in the middle of December before and think I've wasted my money. But in the spring it came right on. Rye is a great nitrogen scavenger but another thing it's good at is acting as herbicide. The dairy I help out on plant a lot of Tridacal. It makes an excellent forage. Even though we take the top half of the crop off, there is still two foot deep root mass there in the soil. You may consider hitting some acres with the VT to terminate it and then plant it directly. As far as Roundup goes, I think people actually under use it. They apply a pint when they should have applied a quart or maybe two. Weed would get stunted but survive and goes to seed. The next generation take a bigger dose until 4 quarts isn't enough.
I was wondering how many tons of rye was plowed under? Seems like some rye green chop would feed some young stock....and u still have the root structure for fertilizer...i enjoy your diverse videos of your operation. Here's to a bumper crops for you all. 😊
Good day, I'm from Pretoria, South Africa. I love what you are doing here. I appreciate the value of your methods. I am just curios as to how this method compares costwise to using artificial fertilizer.
I sure like to see moldboard plowing. Good video. That IH plow looks very similar to the old 5 - 16's John Deere semi mount my dad had. He pulled either with 4020 or the Oliver 1850 that was I think was a bit heavier tractor and the engine was "turned up a bit" He eventually picked up an on land 6-18's which he pulled with a JD 4630. Not a lot of moldboard here in SE Michigan. We always liked to plow the winter wheat stubble under in August/September. Unless we got a good catch of clover that we spread in when we top dressed...then we would let it grow and plow it under as "green manure" like you did with the rye here in the spring.
Have you guys ever considered doing a legume cover crop like crimson clover to help with the nitrogen bill. That was my grandpas tried and true for his silage corn.
I got a kick out of the comment that 115 hp was your midsize tractor. My dad’s big tractor was a JD 730 D ES with 60 hp. That tractor pulled 4-16s fully mounted in low black ground, clay and loam.
There’s something satisfying about moldboard plowing. I’ve spent many hours plowing growing up.
Plow day with Professor Gierok. Video could have been hours long and I would have watched every minute of it. This ride along while plowing is becoming a highly anticipated yearly tradition.
you also put the water locked into the rye 8 inches under. Nice little drink for the corn in July!
Last fall i chopped corn for the first time seeded rye after and grazed it. Gotta say cows did really well on it. Something to look into if your short on feed in the spring i do agree molbord is good if used the right way
Its pretty evident that pops likes to teach and inform. Always ready to share knowledge.
Whats significant is how much he gets done.
In my experience farmers usually stand there shootin the bull all day and get nothin done, or you chase one around all day just to hear 2 words on how to do something .
It's pretty unique to find a farmer with the passion to teach, and the wisdom to know when to move on and get somthin done.
I plowed many years with a John Deere 70 Diesel and a 4 bottom plow mounted on the 800A hitch. It was the best part of farming!
That rye is very nice and thick! Soil looks great. I think that plow is the same we had when I was a kid. .. Next year leave some rye standing and plant corn with your new no-till planter directly into the standing rye. When the corn emerges, run a cultipacker down and back to flatten any stand ups the other way. That straw mulch mat will block weeds until the corn canopies.
Great video. One thing I've noticed is that you still seem to use alot of One way ploughs in the US. Here in the UK almost everyone uses reversible ploughs. Even on small farms. Don't know whether that's the case or just the channels I'm watching. Thanks for the video. All the best 🇬🇧.
Howdy George, I hope ya'll are doing well,
I definitely love doing tillage, I look forward to it, especially moldboard plowing, that is so satisfying, I could do that all day long, and not get bored in the least, you got some Cool views with your go-pro, the 1 on the rim of tire was 1 I've never seen before, that was Cool George, keep getting those unique views, with your go-pro, Stay safe, God Bless and Farm on my Friends
Fantastic! George's videos are kinda like having my Grandpa back, who was a master gardener and raised award-winning waterfowl. He could talk forever and never be boring.
A lot of great footage. I still believe molboard plowing has a lot of benefits to it, great for weed control.
When I was a kid, we plowed in the fall..
Prior to plowing , the field was spread with manure & it was turned under ..
Our ground was poor , but my dad had several tricks to add nitrogen & he spread lime to balance the soil...
We always had great hay & corn compared to our neighbors ...
One huge plus was our neighbors feed lots..
He kept about 200 head & if we scraped the pad & paddock , he gave us the manure ...
My dad let it compost for a year before he applied it & it just looked like black soil..
P.S....the oldest part of the manure pile was a great place to dig worms for fishing...
WOW.... look at that beautiful black Wisconsin soil!!
Thanks for sharing all the details George, you are a fabulous teacher to those of us still figuring it out.
I had that same 550 international plow, 5x14, for 40 years. $150. From a neighbor's sale. A well built piece. I used it to plow down alfalfa. You'll not regret putting new shares, shins, and pads on it, it really makes a difference. Really a well engineered plow except the throats are too small for corn stalks out of the picker. Good to see it getting a work out.
Best regards from Indiana.
Thanks so much George. Really enjoyed watching you plow. I'm right there with you. My Dad and Grandpa were plow men. I don't do it like we used to but I still believe it needs turned every few years. Yes sir that's going to grow some beautiful corn and it is going to hold moisture in the root zone too besides the nutrients. You are a good farmer and I appreciate you making the videos for us to watch as I am not a full time farmer anymore but I have 4 more years to retire and then I will be back at it with more time than I have now to do more of it. Hope y'all have a great season.
I always remember my dad plowing in the fall when it was bitter cold with our Oliver tractor and plow from Waumandee.
Enjoyed your moldboard plowing video. Brings back memories of growing up on a small dairy farm in Iowa. Started out pulling 2-16"s behind a 2 cylinder John Deere. When I got to high school age we got a 65 horse tractor and were able to pull 4-14's. Wow we really thought we were doing something then. Glad you didn't lose the camera ....otherwise might not get to see any more of your great videos!!!
Great explanation of how and why you prepare your crop ground and the benefits that process bring to you and your family. Great job keeping your headlands even. Having grown up during the 1960s plowing was the only way to go. I do recall, if we didn’t keep our headlands even, it made a real mess when we rolled the headlands and made issues for tillage and planting. As always, thanks for sharing and taking me back to time of tremendous satisfaction.
My dad tied #9 wire 8 to 10 foot long on each coulter shaft trailing back behind plow, even in 3 & 1/2 ft tall sweet clover, it turned over completely black( an old Iowa farmer trick) I’ve never seen any farmer do this except my Dad( a 2nd generation Danish Iowan farmer), too bad farmers don’t hardly plow in Iowa anymore, we always put away plow greased with sticky axle grease, luv your videos- retired in western Iowa.
Interesting to hear your commentary as you work. The only moldboard plowing we do is breaking out old hay strips for corn. We use the coulter chisel on stalks and bean stubble. Have seeded leftover seed wheat in fall bean stubble. Between the wheat and pen-pack manure, the soil tilth seems to be improving.
WOW, thank you for takng the time to share what ur thinkng about soil management..this is something overlookd in residential/urban areas where "let hire a landscaper" is the rule. I appreciate there no perfect way to farm..just what works for each farmer, grow cover crop, turn it over to replenish the soil, and grown corn silage. Take the time to check while workng to make sure all is good.
Hello enjoyed your video. Nice plowing think it the best for a good crop. No till was started to save money not because its better. Have a great day.
Thanks for a great video I always loved plowing a field I think crops always turn out a lot better. Also wanted to say thank you for all your great videos and thanks for being a farmer but more than that thanks for being a diary farmer, god bless you and your whole family.
Hey George,,thanks for the plowing master class. We had the same plow with a clod buster rake. Pulled it with the 856 on the high side of second.
Beautiful dirt ,should make some great corn . What a view .👍
Mould board plowing was all we did on our farm. We always had good crops. We spread our manure in each field we were going to plow. Us we put it on our hayfields.
That first field looked like my best compost pile with lose, dark, beautiful soil. The best. I like your strategy and appreciate the reasons behind it. I'll bet it smelled lovely and should hold the moisture well. Hope this is a bumper year for you. Thanks for the ride, even though it felt like being on a ride at the fair at one point.
For being worn out and missing a point or two it’s still doing a pretty good job 🤘finally a farmer that ploughs at a good speed to tho that helps tons lol I see guys doing like 3 mph and can’t flip anything over. Ya need at least 5 mph for most ploughs. Our kvernland variomat eo large frame 6 bottom rollover with skimmers I run up to 7 mph and it loves it. Buries6-7 foot tall old weeds and grass no problem on an old field that hadn’t been touched in a few years.
This is how my father did it and we always had big corn even when it was dry the ground holds its moisture and the worms for fishing were great 😂
What you are doing is better for the soil! Every farmer needs to diversify! Cattle, sheep and grain!
That’s not entirely true. Although there are benefits to plowing under the cover crop the real benefits are under the soil in the root system.
Another great video with detailed explanations about treating and your methods handling your soil. Love it!
Very interesting, learn a lot.
Thank you and all farmers for your hard work to bring food to our tables! 👍👍
Old school is always cooler 😎👍
That rye is rolling over perfectly.
George, that was great. Brings back memories of when I was young and helping Dad until out of high school in eastern Nebraska.
That was my favorite thing to do on the farm in the 70's and 80's. When I was on the farm I would plow for hours on end.
we had one like that in the early 70's , pulled it with an Allis XT190!I'm with you, Dad!!Take it from this old farmer, that's nice plowing for as tall as the Rye is, most of it's under, and it does make good fertilizer! i am a moldboard guy, one of my favorite jobs!
We had an international 3 point 4 bottom spring trip plow that we pulled with a 1964 John deer 3020 gas ,
Great video George there is an art to plowing and you are very good at it mi think it's relaxing and satisfying to plow. Thank you
Old school is pretty much all we do. Works good for us.
I love the way yaw farm u us everything in ur toolbox without spending a bunch of of money on weed killer & fertilizer.u are what I call a smart farmer.would love to work for u for month to soak up some ur knowledge .love the channel lot different then most farm channel don’t change how yaw film channel
Like I said,,George Gierok master class plowing.
Some really good shots of the plow working. Thanks.
My Dad bought a 4010 diesel in April 1961 with a 5-15 JD fully mounted plow. Two problems 1. Couldn't control the tractor with plow out of the ground. 2. Corn stalks plugging. Finally traded for IH 4-16s like yours -- both problems gone.
You are doing a beautiful job job of breaking ground.👌
Some of my best days were spent on my neighbor's MF1100, with the same kind of plow, plowing in April on my Grandmother's farm and land around the area. Back then everyone was moldboard plowing, and you could tell by the sound of all the tractors working they were indeed plowing. In the 70's and 80's almost nobody had a cab tractor, days like this in the 70's or 80 were just right for operating in the field. One big mistake I and many others made then, were not wearing sunscreen or a long sleeve shirt!!!! Been paying for that mistake ever since going the dermatologist!!!
Yea, you don’t see much of that anymore. Dad use to plow every fall during the years of dairy farming an my grandfather also. Ours was a Massey Furguson 5 bottom semi mount. First few years he had the 730 case diesel open station some chilly nights or days. Than got a cab tractor in the early 80’s a that became the workhorse for plowing, bailing, chopping, working up land. The 730 came on the hay bine, blower. Loved operating the ol case.
This is why a relatively small dairy farmer and family like you all are still in business and prospering, doing things right, for all the right reasons, preserving all or your farm and soils, and not wasting money on things many farmers think they just have to have to keep up with the Jones!!! You all demonstrate how really taking care of your entire farm is the right way to go for the long haul, while taking the best care of your environment and everything around it
Actually plowing under the cover crop is a waste of money. The main benefits of a cover crop are it’s root system and the matting effect that you get by crimping it and planting directly into it.
Great video. I miss the days plowing when I was in WI. You are so right about so many things, like don’t go to fast just keep moving. Great straight line starting in the second field. Your years of experience shows ! Thanks again
I think keeping it old school is sometimes best. This is how I was raised and helped the neighbors farming. Granted it was back in the 70's. Man watching this brings back good memories!
One Of the best videos you have made in a while keep up the good work we like your video
Enjoyed seeing the plowing.
Awesome George. Id rather listen to what you have to say vs action shots. Take it easy Gierok family
Love it! I use to help my Dad. He plowed with either the JD 730 or 830. Love the old 2 cylinder putt putt!
Finally someone the actually knows how to operate and setup a moldboard plow enjoyed it
Gorgeous Wisconsin black dirt.
always loved plowing in our area in northeast Michigan you had to have the automatic reset plows we have a good crop of rocks
I'm at an antique engine and tractor show this weekend, and they are plowing old school.
glad to see some moldboard plowing , its becoming a lost art
That’s a beautiful piece of ground. Soil as black as ace of spades.
That was great plow filming from different view-points,and the comments where interresting because of your experience in doing this work..Thanks,I'll be back for more.
I love plowing we still do it off and on with our farm fields
I ❤ the way that farmer talking about his soil.
Great video papa yoir a natural
just trying cover crop after peas. sprayed to kill it this year. I like the idea of plowing it under but its always been taboo to do spring plowing in southeast minnesota. Everything is a constant experiment.
That’s beautiful
Some real nice ground, nice rich black soil.
I think plowing is one of the best jobs on the farm for tillage I enjoyed...great video..thanks
Look at that beautiful soil for sure
Great video and great team. Love the plowing.
Great job!!
When I was a kid Grandpaw grew ,wheat, beans & corn. In early spring he would sow red clover into the wheat, next spring we ;lowed the clover for corn.
There's nothing on the farm that smells better than being in a field plowing .
Even city folks would enjoy the smells of dirt as a field is being plowed .
Nice plow!
Great video. Really enjoyed it.
Looks good.
This is the way
Awesome video thanks for sharing!!
Smells lke spring. Plowing was aways my favorite job. Does John Deere even make moldboard plows anymore?
Man, I sure do love your papa!!
Great job !!!! We do the same thing 😎
LOL love the camera in the wheel....get kinda dizzy though lol. Beautiful rich ground right there.
Awesome Soil 👍 Thanks (Digger)
the evident difference between dirt (pale, inert, mostly dead) and soil, darker than the base material, rich in nutrients and life.
Beautiful soil, should make good corn silage growth.
Nice video
Nice video! i could watch that thing turning dirt all day! except for when the camera was inside the wheel kinda made me sea sick haha.
I ENJOYED WATCHING THE VIDEO GEORGE 😊❤
I ENJOYED WATCHING THE VIDEO AARON ❤
"See where I can put you guys..." LOL
Onelonyfarmer had some videos of broadcasting rye and wheat and then VTed the field at about an inch deep and zero degree angle. I've done rye in the middle of December before and think I've wasted my money. But in the spring it came right on. Rye is a great nitrogen scavenger but another thing it's good at is acting as herbicide. The dairy I help out on plant a lot of Tridacal. It makes an excellent forage. Even though we take the top half of the crop off, there is still two foot deep root mass there in the soil. You may consider hitting some acres with the VT to terminate it and then plant it directly. As far as Roundup goes, I think people actually under use it. They apply a pint when they should have applied a quart or maybe two. Weed would get stunted but survive and goes to seed. The next generation take a bigger dose until 4 quarts isn't enough.
My Father plowed hundreds of acres with a set of international 5 16s!
I was wondering how many tons of rye was plowed under? Seems like some rye green chop would feed some young stock....and u still have the root structure for fertilizer...i enjoy your diverse videos of your operation. Here's to a bumper crops for you all. 😊
Just stunning beauty
Great video, I always love plowing, do you cultivate your corn and beans?
Good day, I'm from Pretoria, South Africa. I love what you are doing here. I appreciate the value of your methods. I am just curios as to how this method compares costwise to using artificial fertilizer.
That IH 550 plow is just like mine 5-16s❤😊 the 4 bottom plow is a 540 plow.i have one of Each of those plows !¡!
Both OF THEM ARE AT THE LE SUEUR COUNTY PIONEER POWER GROUND'S. LOOK AT THE WEB SITE
❤😊THANKS 👍 DAD❤😊
❤😊VERY WELL THOUGHT 🤔 OUT DAD❤😊
I sure like to see moldboard plowing. Good video. That IH plow looks very similar to the old 5 - 16's John Deere semi mount my dad had. He pulled either with 4020 or the Oliver 1850 that was I think was a bit heavier tractor and the engine was "turned up a bit" He eventually picked up an on land 6-18's which he pulled with a JD 4630. Not a lot of moldboard here in SE Michigan. We always liked to plow the winter wheat stubble under in August/September. Unless we got a good catch of clover that we spread in when we top dressed...then we would let it grow and plow it under as "green manure" like you did with the rye here in the spring.
Have you guys ever considered doing a legume cover crop like crimson clover to help with the nitrogen bill. That was my grandpas tried and true for his silage corn.
I got a kick out of the comment that 115 hp was your midsize tractor. My dad’s big tractor was a JD 730 D ES with 60 hp. That tractor pulled 4-16s fully mounted in low black ground, clay and loam.