Seed bed preparation and soil management history are thought to have a large impact on the efficacy of mechanical cultivation, but limited information is available on the mechanisms of these effects. In field trials, we tested how pre-plant bed preparation, historic compost use, and molasses applications affected soil surface characteristics and the efficacy of flextine cultivation. Contrary to expectations, historic compost and molasses application had little or no effect on the efficacy of flextine cultivation, and rolling beds prior to planting reduced flextine efficacy. Rolling beds resulted in lower soil surface roughness, but also increased soil penetrometer resistance, which was associated with reduced efficacy of cultivation. These surprising results highlight the importance of characterization of soil conditions in cultivation research. Table beets (Beta vulgaris) are among the most challenging crops to mechanically cultivate. Four beet cultivars were evaluated for their tolerance to deep planting and mechanical cultivation as well as their competitiveness with escaped weeds. Results suggest that 1) deep planting to delay emergence may improve success with stale seedbedding for some cultivars, but that results are inconsistent under field conditions; 2) adoption of cultivars with greater tolerance to mechanical cultivation and greater competitiveness with weeds can improve weed management success in table beets.
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