Virtually all aspects of crop production—planting, spraying, and harvesting—reportedly can benefit from the use of a land roller. As the name implies, a land roller has one or more drums that are rolled across the field to even out high spots, push rocks into the soil, and break up large clumps of soil or crop residue without packing the soil. The result is a more level field, whether tilled or no-tilled, that allows for more efficient planting and spraying, while improving harvest yields as cutter bars can run lower to the ground. Land rollers can be used before or after planting to improve seed-to-soil contact, seed germination rates, and plant heartiness.
Degelman, Mandako, Rite-Way, Summers, and Tebben are among the leading manufacturers offering several varieties of new and used land rollers for sale. Coil packers or notched rollers can break up root balls and also provide basic tillage but will leave a rougher soil surface. Smooth rollers will push rocks into the soil and break up crop residue, leaving a relatively flat surface. Manufacturers such as Rite-Way are building land rollers with larger-diameter drums, resulting in fewer revolutions and using less horsepower per foot, while Summers Manufacturing, like many other land roller manufacturers, offers its SuperRollers with different widths, drum diameters, and unfolding options.