My top three agronomic goals for direct seeding cereal, oilseed or pulse crops are to seed early (No. 1) into a moist (No. 2) and firm (No. 3) seedbed. The first two (early and moist) may be qualified depending on climate and crop, but there should be no quibble about the third — which you get from seeding into an untouched seedbed.

Beyond those three goals, individual growers are constantly tinkering to improve their systems. Direct seeding is not a recipe you can follow year after year without change and always expect top results. What worked well last year will always need twigging, especially since we can’t predict the weather. In the delayed spring my area experienced in 2009, there was much talk of re-seeding — mainly canola due to frequent late frosts. This gave us an opportunity to poke and dig around in fields. We confirmed many direct-seeding strengths and flagged a few weak links, giving rise to the following conclusions and tips:

Best seed germination occurred quite shallow — about an inch or less — in standing stubble, even under wheel tracking. See Photo 1. Best crop emergence was in thin surface mulch. To avoid compromising a vigorous start, always minimize chaff rows and reduce residue loading of the seed row. (For more on that, read Part 2, which follows this article.)

Ever looked at soil beneath a seed furrow after displacement by the opener? What should it be like? Look for a firm, moist texture that can be scooped out by fingertip. See Photo 2. If the lower seedbed is hard and dry or glazed — scraping or digging with a knife is required to move the soil — it is likely limiting emergence. I found a lot of these symptoms in high-disturbance fields, and at various shovel depths.

Similarly, densely packed surface dirt above the seed is another telltale sign that something’s not right. Weighttransfer from heavy drill packer wheels was obviously troublesome for cold, wet soils last spring, especially under low organic matter levels or on fine-textured soil. Seedbeds with sufficient levels of surface residue remained crumbly and pliable compared to lumpy conditions often encountered in tilled fields.

The terms firm and moist can be misinterpreted, therefore these points are a guide for checking no-till seed placement more or less where “moist and firm below” joins “dry and loose above.”

COMMON QUESTIONS

Here are no-till agronomy questions I get all the time. After the question is my answer.

1. How much seed-placed fertilizer do I need for crop emergence? None, no matter how “balanced.” For a crop to effectively access and use the nutrient package, seeds must first germinate in order to commence their inherent biological potential to get out of bed (emergence). On the Prairies in May, it can take three weeks for adequate roots and shoots to form, and even more if air temperatures stay below 10 C. It may never happen if soil moisture or rainfall is scarce. In fact, so-called starter fertilizer is often detrimental if seminal roots and shoots are otherwise impaired by the improper seedbed conditions described previously. For example, growers need to study the implications of single versus. double-shoot for the right no-till product, rate, placement and timing in each crop.

2. How much soil disturbance is necessary for planting? Very little, with the right equipment. Conversely, extra is required to counter the biological destruction as a result of seedbed alterations by tillage. In practical terms, no till with seedbed utilization (SBU) below 10 per cent has been performing for decades as well or better than tillage- based cropping systems.

3. With row spacing, how wide is too wide? Depends. The era of airseeders (modified tillage) at least doubled common row spacing, while most no-till leaders followed with multi-function narrow openers for seed and fertilizer (double-shoot). That’s amazing, since very little adjustment for seeding rates was made along the way. Plant science and good agronomy suggest there is a fickle balance between root staging, growth response, seeding rate, nutrient uptake, maturity, yield, and climate. This spatial relationship or plant population factor is more about nutrient access and growing season than simply seed-row distribution.

4. What opener is best for no till? One that presents the best opportunity to profit from no till. The machinery for a progressive cropping system respects the soil and provides the least amount of time in a field, with a degree of flexibility for efficient use of applied nutrients and critical weed control strategies. Opener choice is just one part of your system. I might caution that appropriate opener selection may be “joined at the hip” with the harvest system. (Read Part 2, which follows.)

5. What about crop rotation? After exactly 20 years of direct seeding crops on my own half section, I have some opinions yet not quite enough experience to get all the answers I am looking for. Simply said, most crops are wisely planted into stubble from a different crop for basic agronomic reasons such as weeds, disease and insects. There are external reasons, too, including cash flow and profit.

Even when you do everything right and improve a little every year, weather is a key factor.

The post Tips For The Perfect Seedbed – for Jul. 23, 2010 appeared first on Grainews.

Seed shallow, don’t pack too much, limit seed-placed fertilizer, and find an opener and row spacing that works for your conditions

No-till, put simply, is a clear and persistent focus on seeding — with a single-pass — into undisturbed soil. No till and direct seeding have dramatically changed the way we farm our Prairie landscape. No more bare-fallow or seedbed cultivation! Farmers now reap immediate benefits in saved time, labour and fuel costs while the soil stays moist and cycles nutrients for future productive seedbeds; promoting renewal rather than depletion of precious soil organic matter.

My top three agronomic goals for direct seeding cereal, oilseed or pulse crops are to seed early (No. 1) into a moist (No. 2) and firm (No. 3) seedbed. The first two (early and moist) may be qualified depending on climate and crop, but there should be no quibble about the third — which you get from seeding into an untouched seedbed.

Beyond those three goals, individual growers are constantly tinkering to improve their systems. Direct seeding is not a recipe you can follow year after year without change and always expect top results. What worked well last year will always need twigging, especially since we can’t predict the weather. In the delayed spring my area experienced in 2009, there was much talk of re-seeding — mainly canola due to frequent late frosts. This gave us an opportunity to poke and dig around in fields. We confirmed many direct seeding strengths and flagged a few weak links, giving rise to the following conclusions and tips:

Best seed germination occurred quite shallow — about an inch or less — in standing stubble, even under wheel tracking. See Figure 1. Best crop emergence was in thin surface mulch. To avoid compromising a vigorous start, always minimize chaff rows and reduce residue loading of the seed row. (For more on that, read Part 2, which follows this article.)

—Ever looked at soil beneath a seed furrow after displacement by the opener? What should it be like? Look for a firm moist texture that can be scooped out by finger-tip. See Figure 2. If the lower seedbed is hard and dry or glazed — scraping or digging with a knife is required to move the soil — it is likely limiting emergence. I found a lot of these symptoms in high disturbance fields, and at various shovel depths.

Similarly, densely packed surface dirt above the seed is another tell-tale sign that something’s not right. Weight-transfer from heavy drill packer wheels was obviously troublesome for cold wet soils last spring, especially under low organic matter levels or on fine textured soil. Seedbeds with sufficient levels of surface residue remained crumbly and pliable compared to lumpy conditions often encountered in tilled fields.

The terms firm and moist can be misinterpreted, therefore these points are a guide for checking no-till seed placement more or less where “moist and firm below” joins “dry and loose above.”

COMMON QUESTIONS

Here are no-till agronomy questions I get all the time. After the question is my answer.

1. How much seed-placed fertilizer do I need for crop emergence? None, no matter how “balanced.” For a crop to effectively access and use the nutrient package, seeds must first germinate in order to commence their inherent biological potential to get out of bed (emergence). On the Prairies in May, it can take three weeks for adequate roots and shoots to form, and even more if air temperatures stay below 10C. It may never happen if soil moisture or rainfall is scarce. In fact, so-called starter fertilizer is often detrimental if seminal roots and shoots are otherwise impaired by the improper seedbed conditions described previously. For example, growers need to study the implications of single vs. double-shoot for the right no-till product, rate, placement and timing in each crop.

2. How much soil disturbance is necessary for planting?Very little, with the right equipment. Conversely, extra is required to counter the biological destruction as a result of seedbed alterations by tillage. In practical terms, no-till with seedbed utilization (SBU) below 10 per cent has been performing for decades as well or better than tillage-based cropping systems.

3. With row spacing, how wide is too wide? Depends. The era of airseeders (modified tillage) at least doubled common row spacing, while most no-till leaders followed with multi-function narrow openers for seed and fertilizer (double-shoot). That’s amazing, since very little adjustment for seeding rates was made along the way. Plant science and good agronomy suggest there is a fickle balance between root staging, growth response, seeding rate, nutrient uptake, maturity, yield, and climate. This spatial relationship or plant population factor is more about nutrient access and growing season than simply seed row distribution.

4. What opener is best for no till? One that presents the best opportunity to profit from no-till. The machinery for a progressive cropping system respects the soil and provides the least amount of time in a field, with a degree of flexibility for efficient use of applied nutrients and critical weed control strategies. Opener choice is just one part of your system. I might caution that appropriate opener selection may be “joined at the hip” with the harvest system. (Read Part 2, which follows.)

5. What about crop rotation? After exactly 20 years of direct seeding crops on my own half section, I have some opinions yet not quite enough experience to get all the answers I am looking for. Simply said, most crops are wisely planted into stubble from a different crop for basic agronomic reasons such as weeds, disease and insects. There are external reasons, too, including cash flow and profit.

Even when you do everything right and improve a little every year, weather is a key factor.

Despite impressive credentials, accurately predicting weather for every phase of each new growing season has so far eluded even the most perceptive crop consultants and marketing agents that I know of. Five-day forecasts only help for twigging the crop spraying and maybe some vacation planning.

GENETICS IMPORTANT, TOO

I mentioned that no till is a whole system. It’s about more than the right opener or shank spacing. Plant genetics are as important as the machinery you use. Genetic traits cannot be taken for granted when it comes to the complexity between where (and how) a seed is produced, gets planted, and ultimately is brought to the market place. In my view, a lack of home-grown “genetics” could be a lingering problem.

I want viable and vigorous seed conditioned for my fields, not just classified by “days to maturity.” Where does shatter resistance for canola or standability in peas rank as value traits that capture the harvest needs of these crops? What about spring cereals that mature earlier (tiller less?) or short stature winter cereals that tiller more? What about perennial crops?

The recipe for success with direct seeding includes choosing a variety that suits your system. Pay attention to local direct seeders. Ask what varieties work best for them, and why.

Part 2 of this article looks at harvest practices and how they can improve seed placement in a direct seeding system.

Ron Heller is an agronomist, formerly with Alberta’s Reduced Tillage Linkages. He farms near Vermilion.

The post Tips For The Perfect Seedbed – for Mar. 8, 2010 appeared first on Grainews.

Twelve years as a direct-seeding (DS) extension agent with Reduced Tillage Linkages in Alberta finds me well-adjusted to all the notill bad mouthing that goes on over soil warming and other such residue-related woes. (My on-farm learning has caused some personal muttering, too.) A recent outcome from working as a reduced tillage agronomist is my absolute conclusion that future DS advancements will originate from a change in attitude, belief, and awareness that “no-till truly does begin at harvest.” Broadening the focus to include residue management at harvest will be coming soon to a farm near you.

STRIPPER DIARY, OCTOBER ENTRY

Camera in hand, snooping around in waste-high wheat stubble with the combine whizzing past, I quickly realized why this innovative farmer was keen about his stripper-header. My interest in this advanced harvesting system twigged a few months earlier while kneeling in similar notill stubble to explore freshly seeded canola. The focus then was mainly on his no-till seeding implement, a Flexi-coil 6000 with Barton double-shoot openers at 10-inch row spacing. It was doing a super job in tall stripped wheat, barley, and flax stubble. I could tell that a decade’s experience with angle-disc openers and different crops had taught this guy how to set and operate his machine.

STRIPPED VS. CUT

Of late I’ve been looking at how the concept of an untouched seedbed functions from a harvest standpoint. Here are some benefits of stripped over swathed stubble:

1. Generally, the taller the stubble the more snow it traps. In 2009 near Mannville, Alta., snow accumulation in fields of three-foot tall stripped stubble (SS) measured two to three times more than in 10-inch swathed stubble (SW). See photos 1 and 2.

2. Tall stubble has less snow pack. Interestingly, during spring thaw, the deep lower density SS snow actually melted as fast or faster than snow in SW due to a superior radiant effect of exposed tall stubble. In fact the last snow to disappear on SS was in wheel tracks (pre-harvest sprayer, combine, trucks, etc.), but seldom remained longer than snow pack areas where drifting frequently occurred on nearby SW fields. See photos 3 and 4.

3. Fall tillage increases the risk of springtime “ponding.” See photo

5. Stubble knock-down not only causes variable snow accumulation across the landscape, but cultivation also tends to seal the soil by destroying ground pores that soak up runoff — the “tilth.”

TALLER STUBB LE, LESS MATTING

Zero tillage is good for snow trap and moisture retention. We know that. But how do we seed through this bulk?

It’s true, heavy layers of chaff and straw are real barriers for no-till if all that nice residue drags and clumps beneath a drill. Even if well distributed, the thick mulch may keep the soil wet and cold, hampering early spring planting. I am an advocate for novel harvest methods that mitigate these concerns.

The goal is to have the majority

In 2009 near Mannville, Alta., snow accumulation in fields of three-foot tall stripped stubble measured two to three times more than in 10-inch swathed stubble.

of crop residues remain intact and standing rather than processed and dropped behind the combine, thereby generating sustainable conditions more conducive for timely seeding. For example, a well designed straight-cut draper header can effectively minimize the amount of combine mulch or “surface trash.” With less mulch on the soil surface, your drill can more easily pass through it, over it and under it to seed into the firm undisturbed soil beneath. Playing with residue when you could be seeding is simply frustrating!

Keeping this in mind, here are two more no-till questions that still need answers:

1. Is crop residue trash or recycled nutrients? An agronomist understands the latter, but a machinery engineer’s perspective is essential to optimize the outcome. Normally “trash” refers to unwanted junk or scraps to throw away. Headache may be the term often synonymous with harvest, especially when straw is tough or lodged, nevertheless where will renewed organic matter come from?

2. How do we spread residue with Class 9 combines and their 36-foot and wider headers? A stripper-header is certainly one approach.

After decades of discovering mechanized ways to seed and fertilize directly into heavy residue (concluding there is actually no good reason for major tillage), I trust that better equipment will also eventually enable growers to surmount the harvest bottleneck created by an abundance of residue as a result of higher-yielding DS crops. Leaving more stubble standing is one answer. Seeding into this matt of tall stubble may indeed come down to precision guidance tools and technology for seeding between the rows.

STRIPPER DIARY, JUNE ENTRY

Trudging through those fields of tall stubble to measure snow-trap in March and revisiting through April thaw, my enthusiasm grew. It peaked even more by June as I observed crop after crop emerging similar or superior to nearby fields, despite the discouraging spring and the almost ridiculous amount of stubble. My thoughts soared: Could this be the missing piece of the puzzle I’ve been looking for?

Ron Heller is an agronomist, formerly with Alberta’s Reduced Tillage Linkages. He farms near Vermilion.

The post Are Strippers The Missing Piece? appeared first on Grainews.

I understand the heartache of crop failure when stakes are high. I realize the pressures of farming around the weather. But it makes no sense to abandon the good sense of no-till after a bad year.

I sincerely hope what I overheard during a farm meeting last summer was just talk without thought. Farmers were discussing the poor emergence of crops in 2009, when one person said, “Maybe I’ll rent some heavy harrows this fall and fix up the ‘ole cultivator for next spring to blacken the soil before seeding.” Yikes!

Given cool seeding conditions in most of Alberta in 2009, no-till trash talk is not really a surprise. But there is absolutely no substitute for achieving a firm moist seedbed supplied by a good direct seeding system. And moisture is critical in at least 70 per cent of our springs. We can use every drop we can save. How much moisture is available, and when, is vital for crop growth!

In 2009, many areas suffered a soil moisture deficit. However a bigger part of the problem was lack of daytime heating accompanied by cold nights and frequent frosts. That’s weather!

How many times can we expect our crops to recover? If they do, what is the economic outcome of delayed maturity? Production crop insurance can rarely supplement let alone salvage weather-related losses. Sadly, sometimes I have this feeling that certain crop write-offs or reseeding outcomes could have been avoided.

Remember, as partners in nature, both retained “trash” and reduced “tillage” work inseparably in a manner unmatched by any other cropping system to optimize field operations and capture and make the best use of the moisture we get. Timing, luck, and sunshine help. Reverting to a regime of old fashioned tillage can only mean climbing back to where we have already arrived.

After experiencing a cold dry spring like 2009 with poor crop emergence and frequent frosts, retaining residue long promoted by enthusiastic direct seeders comes under new scrutiny.

As an agronomist I trust “the system” can withstand temptations to return to old tillage habits. I’ve seen such confidence frequently tested by veteran (albeit frustrated) farmers faced with excess crop residue in the field. They want to make it work. Understandably for those relatively new to no-till, it’s easy to blame the system and quit.

It’s no fable that on the Prairies, our crops somehow acclimatize under quite a short growing season, making each day and almost every hour in the field matter! Admittedly, there appears to be little argument against the enticement of bare soil to warm and enhance seed emergence and for increased radiation to reduce injury from prolonged frost. But I still observe many direct seeders innovatively achieving good emergence and other agronomic goals (like the oft-forgotten wisdom of eliminating massive soil erosion) without the need for tillage.

NO-TILL WISDOM

When the soil is right for tillage, it’s also likely time to seed. Tillage to mediate crop residue and prepare the seedbed has caused many seed placement disasters. Experienced no-tillers know that the first field-pass is always the easiest. So why not make that your seeding pass?

Tall anchored stubble holds hidden treasure yet to be discovered. Not only can you combine faster if you leave more stubble standing, but in Reduced Tillage Linkages (RTL) studies, taller standing stubble has revealed superior seedbed conditions under more dynamic crop rotations. It makes sense to further reform our seeding and harvest technology to be residue friendly rather than continuing to make this precious resource the enemy.

When it comes to weeds (the real enemy of any cropping system), tillage never has been the answer. For the record, neither has herbicide alone. Just think of the significant advances made against some of our most prevalent and noxious

weeds by simply reducing soil disturbance coupled with a relatively inexpensive pre-seed burnoff — a fact that has fundamentally built the success of no-till.

Fertilizer is for the crop, NOT the weeds. To economize and facilitate the precision placement of plant nutrients, a single-pass seeding operation seems in order.

Ultimately, a successful no-till crop starts with correct opener design plus adequate operator skill. All practical no-till machinery and associated worthwhile effort must function under extremely challenging conditions, providing good seed placement with unpredictable weather and heavy residue due to bumper yield.

NO POINT IN NO-TILL TRASH TALK

I understand the heartache of crop failure when stakes are high. I realize the pressures of farming around the weather. But it makes no sense to abandon the good sense of no-till after a bad year. Besides, would traditional tillage have produced a different outcome?

You get incredible value from moist topsoil with a layer of mulched residue on top. I like nothing better than to return to a field previously hampered by discouraging decades of intensive tillage to find a golden carpet of (almost) weed-free stubble. I pause and kneel, up-rooting a few timely emerging and vigorous plants for inspection. Then I dig a handful of moist topsoil in one hand and gather a sample of mulched residue

in the other. Both have unspeakable meaning, and deserve our deepest respect. That’s when you know that no-till works, despite thoughtless criticism or trash talk!

Ron Heller is an agronomist, formerly with Reduced Tillage Linkages (RTL), in Vermilion, Alta.

The post No Till Pays Dividends, Despite 2009 appeared first on Grainews.

direct-seeds peas into the sod and then broadcasts alfalfa seed immediately afterward. He gets a pea crop the first year, meanwhile creating a good foundation for the new alfalfa to get established. Ultimately his goal is to have productive alfalfa stands for hay, silage or grazing.

This report is based on a project I carried out while working with Alberta’s Reduced Tillage Linkages (RTL). I visited Burden’s farm in early May 2009 to observe his sod-seeding operation.

For step one, they used a non-selective herbicide to terminate pasture re-growth after grazing had been done in 2008. Then they direct seeded peas on May 6 followed closely with broadcast seeding of alfalfa. They harrowed then rolled to finish.

The spring season progressed colder and dryer than normal but by July 24, a decent crop of peas was established, along with sufficient plant density and development of the alfalfa.

The Burdens used a Conserva-Pak dual-knife system for seeding peas and a Valmar to broadcast alfalfa.

REDUCED FERTILIZER COSTS

Especially with moisture-stress, depleted grass pasture may never recover sufficiently in response to applied fertilizer. Whereas newly established alfalfa provides premium forage and improved soil quality without the need for nitrogen fertilizer. Additional short and long-term nutrient cycling and other co-benefits can be expected from a crop rotation that includes annual pulse legumes such as peas.

SUSTAINED PRODUCTION

This project demonstrates how the practice of sod seeding allows an efficient, unbroken transition from non-productive pasture into highly utilized perennial forage. For best results, inter-seeding — growing two crops, such as peas and alfalfa, together — must be compatible in terms of:

Weed control strategies. The interseeded crops must have similar available herbicide options. The fall-termination step alone generally provides a weed-free window in sod for early seeding and crop emergence without pre-seed treatments. Burden used Pursuit in crop.

Non-competitive spatial effects. The 12-inch wide row-spacing and narrow knife “furrowed” seed placement of this sod seeding system allows the broadcast alfalfa seed plenty of space for establishment. Post-seed harrowing with land rolling does not compromise the emergence of deep-seeded peas, while finishing the field for favourable alfalfa establishment. Peas root relatively shallow compared to the perennial nature of the multi-branched tap root structure of alfalfa. For this reason, the co-operator prefers the alfalfa variety Beaver and semi-leafless peas.

Harvesting methods. Typically in this system, the peas mature for combining within a natural dry-down season and the clipped alfalfa is ready for winter. Due to the importance of a livestock feed component in the co-operator’s operation, this interseeded crop presents many harvest options. On the Burden farm, the outcome in previous experience has ranged from: High-quality peas in the bin with cows content on the stubble late into fall; feed peas for the hog barns plus baled nutrient-rich residue to supplement the beef herd over winter; or an excellent “salvage” crop of stock-piled silage in the pit as carryover or an extended feed supply, plus the promise of “a place for cows next spring” with a much needed “rest” for stressed pastureland.

REDUCED SOIL EROSION

Burden emphasizes that an “essential” key factor in his sandy erosion-prone soils is conserving moisture with direct seeding. He tried a few variations that achieve similar results in terms of alfalfa establishment — including a companion crop of Clearfield canola — but the risk is greater. Sod seeding peas avoids many of the “discouragements” that he, his father, and his grandfather struggled with in past years.

SUMMARY

Alfalfa established very well as a surface broadcast application with sod seeding, where the minimal soil displacement from the furrows — narrow knife and wide row spacing — was subsequently harrowed and rolled to cover and firm the seedbed while saving moisture.

As a legume, peas grown in terminated pasture offsets much of the nitrogen immobilization that otherwise occurs without an intense amount of tillage to breakdown sod. Peas can withstand deep seeding into cool soils and perform superior, relative to alternative crops, in a period of extended drought, as was shown in 2009 with this project.

Ron Heller is an agronomist, formerly with Alberta’s Reduced Tillage Linkages.

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