Improving No-till Farming Systems Through Adoption of Innovative Technical Advances
BCG, the Hindmarsh Landcare Network and the Agricultural Machinery R&D Centre (AMRDC) of the University of South Australia have received funding to research the potential of disc seeders and new pre-emergent herbicides in the western Wimmera. This project will address weed management limitations encountered with low soil disturbance disc seeders in zero-till cropping systems and will demonstrate and evaluate the benefits of combining novel pre-emergent herbicides with more competitive crop canopies enabled by disc seeders, to promote more sustainable and more robust farming systems.
Minimum- and no-till farming systems have been shown to reduce soil erosion and increase rainfall infiltration and storage relative to conventional cultivation systems. However, difficulties can be encountered with plant establishment and stubble handling of no-till machinery. Disc seeders are able to minimise soil and stubble disturbance, and handle large amounts of crop residue, and have the potential to overcome many limitations of current machinery. However, their lack of soil throw can reduce the efficacy of trifluralin on weed seeds in the inter-row, and provide poor safety for the crop. A new pre-emergent grass herbicide that does not require incorporation, and has the potential to overcome many of the trifluralin associated limitations of disc seeders will be trialled.
Two paddocks with different soil types were selected in January 2009 as trial sites for this project, both within 5 km of the township of Nhill. One is a typical Wimmera self-mulching grey, the other a sandy loam more typical of the soil types north of the Western Highway. Both sites are within 2 km of the Bureau of Meteorology automatic weather station located at Nhill aerodrome, which will provide high quality met data.
Sowing
The two paddocks were sown on 5 & 6 May 2009. The trial was sown in optimum conditions with good soil moiture in the top soil due to it raining the week prior to sowing. The four seeding treatments were single disc on 7 inch row spacing, single disc on 11 inch row spacing, triple disc on 11 inch row spacing and knife points on 11 inch row spacing.
Field Walk
BCG hosted a successful field walk at the trial sites. The 80 farmers in attendance learned of the impact of disc seeding on different soil types.
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| The disc seeding trailer at the field walk was effective in displaying the range of disc seeders available. | Participants comparing the two seeding systems (knife points + press wheels and disc seeding). |
Results
Trial results demonstrated the difficulties in migrating from one seeding system (knife points + press wheels) to another (disc seeding). Results highlighted particular problems that can occur when using a new seeding system. For example crop establishment was reduced by approximately 30% when a knife point seeder was simply just replaced with a disc seeder. The need to consider a systems approach was highlighted to farmers at the July field walk.
Results were communicated at the BCG Member's Only Trials Review on Friday 19 February 2010. For full results read Establishment of wheat as influenced by seeding systems published in the 2009 BCG Season Research Book.
Additional results can be read here Economics of wheat as influenced by seeding systems.
Funding for this project has been provided via a Sustainable Practises Grant from the National Landcare Programme of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
