The HGCA has issued a new publication which can aid growers in the decision to adopt no-till cultivation.

No-till, also known as direct drilling or zero tillage, involves sowing directly into the residue of previous crops without any top soil loosening.

The technique is already used widely across America and Australia and the publication outlines a number of key areas that might be of advantageous to UK growers.

Benefits to no-till include higher work rates, reduced overall costs in machinery and fuel, reduced compaction and better retention of soil moisture.

The HGCA also outlines some potential issues, including increased grass weed control problems, crop establishment issues in wet or dry springs and risk of topsoil compaction.

“The new publication is based on the latest scientific research and represents one of the most reliable sources of no-till information to date,” says HGCA research and knowledge transfer manager Shamal Mohammed.

The publication can be found on the HGCA website

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