Dealers 
Sales portal Vertical tillage equipment is a category of tillage tools that run coulter blades vertically through crop residue and the top few inches of soil, sizing straw and opening the seedbed without inverting the soil profile. Unlike a disc harrow or conventional plow, these machines work with the soil structure rather than flipping it.
Why it matters on the Prairies
Heavy residue is the trigger for most producers reaching for a vertical tillage tool. After a thick canola, wheat, or corn crop, mats of uncut straw slow soil warming, plug seeder openers, and create uneven seed-to-soil contact across the stand. In wet years, cold, wet residue keeps Black and Dark Brown soils from drying fast enough for early seeding. Producers see patchy emergence, delayed planting windows, and inconsistent stands when crop residues are left unmanaged heading into spring.
How producers handle it with vertical tillage tools
Most operators run vertical tillage equipment in one of two windows: fall, right after combining a heavy crop, or spring, before the ground warms enough for seeding. The practice of vertical tillage keeps the bulk of residue near the surface rather than burying it, which supports faster breakdown and avoids the mat forming again the following year. Blade angle is the key variable. At a shallow angle, the coulters slice through residue with minimal soil disturbance, which is the right call on a wet spring when smearing would seal the surface. At a steeper angle, the blades move soil, chop residue more aggressively, and level harvest ruts, which suits fall work after canola or corn. Good seedbed preparation with vertical tillage sets up the drill for consistent seeding depth and better germination across the field.
Equipment that fits
The Mandako STORM is built for Prairie conditions and covers the full range of vertical tillage work. The toolbar angle adjusts hydraulically while the machine is moving, so one pass can shift from gentle residue slicing to aggressive mixing as the field changes. Coil spring trips carry two blades each, so a rock lifts a pair of coulters and the rest keep cutting. Hydraulic rolling baskets and a tine harrow are available to finish the seedbed in the same pass. For operations where transport width is a constraint, the Mandako Euro STORM offers a 2-section design built for tighter road requirements. Match your blade style to your residue type before you head to the field, and confirm working depth on the first pass rather than mid-run.
