Abstract: A multi-row agricultural field cultivator for row crops having a row cultivator shovel sized and configured to penetrate soil adjacent a crop row to a depth of between one and three inches, a substantially flat soil deflector plate and a deflector plate attachment structure for attaching the deflector plate to the cultivator structure in a horizontal position above the local ground surface adjacent the cultivator shovel. The deflector plate downwardly deflects soil thrown up by the cultivator shovel during cultivating operations to achieve minimal crop damage at increase cultivator operating speeds.