Plowing and How It’s Judged

A lesson on judging competitive plowing and how Judges keep score.

What is Plowing?

The main purpose of plowing is to eliminate weeds and most of all the residues from the previous crop.

Definitions:

An implement used to cute, lift, and turn over soil especially in preparing a seedbed.
To turn, break up or work with a plow.
To make (something, such as a furrow) with a plow.
To cut into, open or make furrows or ridges in with or as if with a plow

For a thousand a years, plowing has been one of the main soil preparation methods.

Plowing Terminology

The Plow – a farm implement used for cutting the soil and turning it over. The plow was the first tool to unlock the fertility of the earth.
Furrow – the long narrow ribbon of soil which is cut off by the plow and turned over.
Coulter – a sharp pointed knife or rolling disk which cuts the soil vertically.
Share – (or plowshare) – a sharp pointed knife which cuts flat underneath the ground, loosening the soil cut by the coulter.
Mouldboard – a curved blade which pushes the slice of earth to the side and turns it upside down. This slice of earth is called the furrow.
Crown – consists of three trips to the other end of the plow and back (rounds). In horse plowing the results is 6 furrows, in tractor classes 12 furrows.
Body of the Land – Upon completion of the crown, the contestant turns to the left and plows the strip between his crown and the neighbours.
Finish – The last few furrows.

Definition of a Judge

A person appointed to determine the result of a contest or competition
A person who is able and qualified to give an opinion
To form an opinion or conclusion about something
To appraise critically

A person who by observing the land plowed, will in an unbiased and fair manor, judge a class of competitors in the proper order from 1st to last place using an IPM scorecard.

Match Plowing Videos

Match Plowing Scorecard & Its Five Categories

This is a systematic approach which has provided a tool for consistent scoring across many types of plowing.

Horse walking and sulky plows
Antique drag and hydraulic plows
Conventional and Reversible plows (slight variation)

This system works for a beginner class at a local match up to the Canadian Championship Plowing competition.

All Attributes Scored Out of 10

Each and every column on the score sheet is out of 10:

Makes for an easier way to think about scoring a land
It becomes a mindset of 10’s
How do we learn to come up with the numbers?
Mentoring, training, Judges School or meetings, experience

When Judges look at plowing we may ask ourselves when determining what number to write down:

Is it perfect?
How can it be better or improved on?
Did they do half a job?
How low do we go on poor plowing?
What number do we assign that attribute?

1 – SPLIT

Straightness: 10 Points
Cut & Uniformity: 10 Points

Open Split:

The strip to be well cut through so that no land is left uncut.

One round will be permitted in making opening split before judging.

All sod, weeds, etc., cut so that no uncut area remains under crown furrows

Each individual furrow is to be uniform end-to-end

Faults observed:

Centre furrow starts out small, gets larger by second arrow.
Front furrows are more uniform!

This split will be scored low in cut and uniformity:

Uncut grass or roots will lower the score on Cut & Uniformity.
Uneven or lack of furrows will also lower the score on Cut & Uniformity

The split should have no grass or stubble anywhere inside of the split, either loose or still rooted in the soil.

Splits may look different from the middle of the field than they do from the ends!

Straightness is Important

Furrows as viewed from both ends of the field.

2 – CROWN

Straightness | Closeness & Conformity | Burying Grass & Stubble | Soil Available

10 points each for a total of 40 points.

Horses – 6 rounds;
Two Furrow plow – 4 heavy rounds
Three Furrow and larger plow – 3 heavy rounds

Closeness & Conformity:

Front two furrows must meet and close so there is no open area between them.

Conformity means that each furrow in the land looks the same side by side.

All furrows should appear to have the same depth and width, and blend in well with
the other plowing.

You should be able to lay a plowing stake over a crown and all the top edges touch it.

Closeness & Conformity:

⇐ Do the front two furrows conform with the other furrows?

⇐ They appear a little wider and flatter than the next furrows.

Burying Grass and Stubble:

⇐ Nothing visible in this picture

Soil available:

⇐ Proper depth, and body to make enough soil available that if a set of harrows were taken across on a 30 degree angle, would create a level seed bed.