makes mark Down Under
14 December 2001
No-till design
makes mark Down Under
CHEAPER crop establishment with increased output. Sounds too good to be true, but that is what one kiwi grower says he is getting from a new no-till drill design.
Now Baker No-Tillage, which designed the Cross Slot drill, believes the novel approach could do the same for growers in the UK (Arable, Oct 26).
Jim Williams, of Otahuao farm, near Masterton, in the south of New Zealands North Island bought a Cross Slot drill six years ago. Now, every crop on the 400ha (1000acre) farm is sown with it.
"We havent ploughed a furrow for four years," he comments.
Productivity has been boosted, because the delay between harvesting one crop and sowing the next is negligible. That has allowed an increase in double cropping on the heavy clay loam soils.
"We are turning crops around much more quickly. Fields are baled one day, and drilled the next. Before it took two or three weeks and there was the danger of missing the growing season if we got held up," he comments
Wheat is the only autumn sown crop. Most of the land is effectively double-cropped with spring barley, peas or herbage seed followed by short-term pasture for finishing livestock.
"The quality of the new grass is so much better that it has lifted our livestock production," he comments. About 10,000 lambs are bought in and finished on the farm each winter.
Mr Williams drill has 17 "openers" or coulters, at 15cm (6in) spacing covering 2.6m (8ft 6) a pass. Pulled by a 160hp John Deere, he reckons to cover 16ha (40acres) in a reasonable day.
"We have irregular fields and the ground is quite heavy, but it is improving all the time under no-tillage."
The drill cost about £40,000 new six years ago. "Thats certainly a lot more than any other drill, but it is a lot cheaper than the whole range of equipment we used to use."
Plough, power-harrow, drill, harrow and roll was the old regime. Switching to the one-pass approach has saved £27-33/ha (£10-13/acre) in establishment costs, he estimates. "It drills OK into cultivated ground too if it has to, for example after squashes," he adds.
Where the Cross Slot wins over other direct drills is with fertiliser placement, he believes.
"That is what really makes the difference, because the roots can get to it straight away. Broadcasting fertiliser is all right on cultivated ground but in a no-till system the plants dont get to it."
Weed control is not a problem, provided a glyphosate pre-drilling does a good job. Slug pellets are used as a precaution, spun on from the back of the drill. "We are drilling into quite a bit of cover."
Slug pellets can be delivered down the spout but most growers broadcast, comments coulter designer John Baker. "With all no-tillage slugs are worse. About 25% of growers are using pellets in the autumn, and 100% in the spring."
Press wheels close the slot left by the disc and L-shaped coulters preventing moisture loss.
"Effectively it lifts up flaps of soil either side of the disc, puts seed under the soil on one side, fertiliser on the other, then folds it back down like a zipper. That ensures the seed germinates regardless of soil moisture content," he explains.
Drilling depth is adjustable down to 75mm (3in) and each coulter has an independent 0.5m vertical travel. Electronically controlled hydraulic rams keep downward pressure constant but adjustable on each.
"Typically 100-250kg is required. But with suitcase weights on the side of the drill that can be increased to 500kg if necessary in the autumn."
Trash is not a problem as the front edge of the coulters is kept razor sharp and presses hard against the side of the disc, cutting through any residues. "Thats why it takes a bit of power to pull, because it is acting like a disc-break. As rule of thumb you need 10hp/coulter."
Precision or cereal type drills can carry the coulter and Baker No-Tillage is in negotiation with two key European drill manufacturers.
In the meantime Mr Baker hopes to set up a UK grower group to trial the system with an imported drill. Interested growers can contact Dr Baker on bakerbnt@inspire.net.nz *
A novel no-till coulter design is making its mark in New
Zealand, driving down establishment costs and raising
productivity. Andrew Swallow reports on its
potential for use in the UK
Jim Williams Cross Slot drill in action drilling Italian ryegrass after barley at Otahuao, near Masterton, New Zealand. The novel coulter opens soil up, sows the seed on one side of the slot, fertiliser on the other (see graphic right), then closes it like a zipper, says designer John Baker (inset).