Ploughing or cultivating in autumn? When is it still worth using tillage methods that turn the soil over?

In October, the same question arises again on many farms: should the plough be brought out once more – or will the cultivator suffice? The answer has shifted in recent years. Diesel costs and working hours favour ploughless cultivation, whilst weeds, Fusarium and slugs sometimes argue in favour of ploughing. And since the introduction of GLÖZ 5 and GLÖZ 6, subsidy regulations have also played a part in determining when ploughing is permitted. We have compiled the key figures and rules – so that you can make decisions field by field.

How ploughs and cultivators differ in their effect on the soil

Tillage: Amazone Teres 300, new, year of manufacture 2025 · view listing

The plough turns the soil over: straw, volunteer seeds and weed seeds end up at the bottom, leaving the surface clean. This creates an even seedbed, but it costs diesel, time and soil life. The cultivator loosens and mixes the soil without turning it over. Depending on the coulter type, it works ultra-shallow from around 2 cm (goosefoot coulter), shallow with wing coulters at 6 to 15 cm, or with narrow coulters to a depth of 25 to 35 cm to break up compaction. The short-disc harrow is the quick tool for stubble: Väderstad specifies a working depth of 2 to 12 cm for the Carrier at speeds of 10 to 15 km/h.

Diesel and working time: what the figures tell us

How much diesel the plough actually uses depends heavily on depth, soil type and settings. The ranges from practical experience and trials:

Two rules of thumb can help with your own calculations: every additional centimetre of working depth costs roughly one litre more of diesel per hectare. And, according to top agrar, a poorly adjusted plough can consume up to 35 per cent more than one that is optimally adjusted. In terms of labour requirements, the Hessian State Agricultural Service cites a saving of up to 40 per cent for ploughless cultivation.

When the plough comes into its own

• Maize before wheat: According to the Bavarian State Office for Agriculture (LfL Bayern), the combination of maize as a preceding crop and non-inversion tillage carries the highest risk of Fusarium. Maize stubble on the surface is the main source of infection. Farmers who do not plough should at least thoroughly shred and incorporate the stubble.
• Weeds: Where there is heavy black grass pressure, ploughing can help – with an average effectiveness of around 69 per cent, although this varies considerably. According to the analysis reported by *top agrar*, regular ploughing every year offers no advantage; targeted use in combination with summer crops is more effective.
• Slugs and mice: Tillage disrupts both. Ploughing combined with good reconsolidation disrupts the slugs’ burrowing routes. However, an intensively mixing cultivator is also effective against field mice: in a trial conducted by the University of Halle, this reduced the number of mouse holes by around 95 per cent.

When cultivators and mulch sowing come out on top

Seedbed preparation after ploughing or cultivating: Amazone KE 3002, new · view advert

• Erosion: Following heavy rain on a slope, an experiment by the LLH Hessen found that 87 per cent of the rainfall ran off after plough-based sowing, compared with just 16 per cent after mulch sowing.
• Soil life: The Saxony State Office found around eight times as many earthworms with conservation tillage or direct sowing as after ploughing. The Bavarian State Office for Agriculture (LfL Bayern) therefore advises reducing the frequency of ploughing.
• Water: Ultra-shallow stubble cultivation breaks the capillary action and retains water in the soil – a real advantage in dry years.
• Work peaks and costs: Less diesel, fewer hours, greater efficiency in the autumn.
• Plough pan: The plough wheel typically compacts and smears the soil to a depth of 25 to 30 cm. Those who plough can avoid this by using on-land ploughs – trials at HTL Ried showed a reduction of up to 6 litres of diesel per hectare compared with ploughing in the furrow.

What you need to bear in mind legally in 2026

Since the CAP reform, it is not only the arable land that matters, but also the erosion scenario. According to the information sheet on cross-compliance for 2026 (StMELF Bavaria), the rule, in simple terms, is as follows:

• GLÖZ 5, K-Water 1 and 2 scenarios: ploughing is prohibited from 1 December to 15 February. After harvest, ploughing is only permitted if sowing takes place before 1 December. In K-Water 2, ploughing is generally not permitted before row crops with a row spacing of at least 45 cm.
• GLÖZ 5, K-Wind: Ploughing is only permitted if sowing takes place before 1 March or is followed immediately by sowing.
• GLÖZ 6, minimum soil cover: At least 80 per cent of arable land must be covered by 31 December. Stubble and mulch also count – provided the land is not ploughed. Anyone who ploughs in autumn must sow immediately (winter crops or catch crops) or include the area under the 20 per cent exemption.

The federal states implement the rules with some exceptions, for example for heavy clay soils. You should therefore always check the guidance note for your federal state and the erosion profile of your fields.

Equipment: What to look for when buying

Kverneland LB 100, 5-furrow, new · view listing

1. Working width adjustment: On the Variopflug, the working width is adjusted hydraulically from the cab – on the Kverneland Variomat, from 30 to 55 cm per body. This reduces the draught force on difficult sections and adapts the plough to the tractor.
2. On-land capability: Anyone wishing to protect their soil and using wide tyres should ensure that the plough can be driven on the land.
3. Wear parts: Check the coulters, scraper plates, attachments and tips; for the cultivator, check the coulters and coulter tips; for the disc harrow, check the disc diameters and bearings.
4. Stone guard: Check hydraulic or spring-loaded stone guards for proper function and leaks.
5. Packer: According to top agrar, a packer costs around 10 to 15 per cent more in terms of power, but ensures reconsolidation – a particular advantage when dealing with soil compaction.

Where to look

On machinery-market.eu you’ll find around 20 ploughs, including new machines such as the Amazone Teres 300 and the Kverneland LB 100 from Petri & Söhne. Mecklenburger Landtechnik offers large variable-width ploughs, such as the Kverneland 6300 S Variomat with 8 shares, the Kverneland 3300 S Variomat, the Gregoire-Besson Voyager S70 Vario or the Lemken Diamant 16 VU.

For ploughless cultivation, it’s worth taking a look at the soil preparation range: short-disc harrows such as the Väderstad Carrier XL 625 with CrossCutter and the Lemken Rubin 10/500, cultivators such as the Lemken Karat 10/600, the Horsch Joker 6 RT disc harrow and, for seedbed preparation, rotary harrows such as the Lemken Zirkon 12. You’ll find the right tractor in the tractors section – read our guide ‘Buying a second-hand tractor’ to find out what to look out for when buying second-hand.

Frequently asked questions

How much diesel does a cultivator save compared to a plough?

That depends heavily on depth, soil type and settings. The Bauernblatt magazine quotes a range of 16 to 30 l/ha for the plough and 8 to 20 l/ha for the cultivator. In the overall process, including sowing, the DLG measured 28 to 32 l/ha with a plough compared with 11 to 14 l/ha with conservation tillage.

Can I still plough in the autumn?

In principle, yes, but with restrictions: in erosion zones K-Wasser 1 and 2, there is a ploughing ban from 1 December to 15 February, and after the harvest, ploughing is only permitted there if sowing takes place before 1 December. Due to GLÖZ 6, sowing must take place immediately after ploughing; otherwise, the area does not count towards the minimum soil cover requirement. The rules of your federal state apply.

Should I plough before sowing wheat following a maize crop?

According to the Bavarian State Office for Agriculture (LfL Bayern), maize as a preceding crop, in combination with non-tillage cultivation, carries the highest risk of Fusarium. It is crucial that the maize stubble is not left lying on the surface: it must either be ploughed under or intensively shredded and incorporated. Direct drilling after maize is the riskiest option.

Does ploughing help against black grass?

Yes, but not reliably: on average, it is around 69 per cent effective, with significant variations. Ploughing every year offers no advantage. A targeted approach combined with summer crops in the crop rotation is more effective.

What is an on-land plough?

With on-land ploughing, the tractor drives with all its wheels on the unploughed soil rather than in the furrow. This avoids the plough pan, allows for wide tyres and, according to trials by HTL Ried, saves up to 6 litres of diesel per hectare.