In the middle of the harvest season, work progresses day by day with the aim of harvesting all the grain in our fields as soon as possible to avoid potential problems—mainly caused by summer storms and hail.
In terms of results, it has been an extraordinary year. Following last year’s record cereal yields, this season promises similarly exceptional performance. And why is the main reason? Because we have had a very wet winter and spring (around 420mm in 2025). Normally, average barley yields are about 3,500 kg/ha; last year we reached 5,700 kg/ha, and this year we expect a similar figure… although we cannot confirm it definitively until harvesting is complete.
As for legumes, which is another of the main crops in the rotation, they have fared a bit differently. Lentil pods failed to develop fully—likely due to a brief heatwave—yielding about 800 kg/ha, which remains a strong result. Peas continue to be steadfast, averaging 1,000 kg/ha, though their market price does not command the premium that lentils do.
We’re in the thick of harvest and remain optimistic. We hope for a very good harvesting campaign for everyone!
A few weeks ago, the Spanish manufacturer Gil provided us with one of their disc harrows to test on different terrains, and we’ve had the opportunity to conduct the necessary trials on our farm. Before sharing our impressions, we would like to point out that Gil specialises in cereal seed drills, but for years they've also developed a strong line of sprayers and soil preparation implements. The fast harrows are one of the implements that have recently been added to its portfolio.
As for the Gil short disc harrows, we could comment:
There are from 3 to 6 metres working width. 24 discs (3m) to 48 discs (6m).
Discs of 22‘ or 24’.
Ring or cage roller.
Weights range from 1,210kg (3m) to 3,500kg (6m).
Disc support can be with tichk rubber or vibro arm.
All disc harrows are suspended.
It is a maintenance free implement.
Hydraulic folding with automatic locking.
Its construction makes it light and very robust, ideal for all types of terrain.
We still need to test it under more temperate conditions, as the summer in our area is very dry and the soil is extremely hard. However, we’ve already used the disc harrow on fallow fields and stubbles with promising results. The work was done with a 4 metre discs harrow paired with our Deutz-Fahr M600 Agrotron tractor (130hp). The tractor performed exceptionally well with the implement, both in transport and in the field. Based on our tests, we can draw several conclusions:
This implement is ideal for shallow tillage.
It provides a very uniform mixture of straw and soil on stubble.
Its high working speed allows for covering many hectares in a short time.
It is maintenance-free, ensuring no time is wasted when heading out to work.
The cage roller works effectively in sunflower stubble, breaking up the residue.
On fields where there is a lot of residue or weeds, it is the ideal implement to work with.
In conclusion, the Gil folding short disc harrow has proven to be a reliable and efficient implement for shallow tillage, even under the challenging conditions of our dry and hardened summer soil. We look forward to further testing under different conditions, but so far, the results are promising, indicating that this implement could become a key tool in our soil preparation processes.
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