Abstract: The residue manager deflects cover crop stalks and flattens cover crop residue during a no-till or minimum-till agricultural planting process. The residue manager apparatus comprises an “A” shaped frame. A leading portion of the frame is designed to deflect cover crop stalks. Press shoes attached to an intermediate portion of the frame depress cover crop residue that is not deflected by the leading portion. The trailing portion of the residue manager frame is configured to attach to existing planting mechanisms, such as seed drills. As the residue manager is propelled across a field of cover crops, the residue manager deflects cover crop stalks and depresses cover crop residue adjacent to the planting mechanism so that the planting process is not obstructed by the cover crop biomass on the surface of the field.

Abstract: A soil preparation machine is pulled by a tractor across a field in which rows of plants and tracks followed by the tractor are at permanent locations from season to season. Soil from between the remains of two rows of the previous season's plants is lifted by a blade and delivered to the forward end of a belt conveyor which is slanted rearwardly and upwardly. Devices on the machine upturn the remains of the previous season's plants and the soil beneath them. Soil falls from the rear end of the conveyor onto the upturned remains. The blade and conveyor are narrower than the distance between the rows of plants, and the upturning devices are aligned with the rows of plants inboard of the tractor tracks.