| Seeding Technology Clinic |
|
Sponsored by ATB Financial, Martin Farm Equipment – Deerline, Selmac Sales, Meridian, K&M Basic seeding processes have become very high tech in order to provide higher yields and better efficiency and profitability. The clinics will cover topics such as the type of openers and sweeps available, tanks, seeding implements, fertilizer application methods, seed and fertilizer storage and equipment factors and production tips for direct seeding.
Equipment Factors for Direct Seeding
April 8 - 10, 3:00 p.m. Lawrence Papworth
Direct seeding over the years has become the standard for seeding cereals, oilseeds and pulses in Western Canada. One of the challenges is choosing the right equipment for your farming operation. Air drills are more popular than air seeders because of on row packing and the ability to seed shallow in higher residue conditions. The choice between hoe and disc openers is a choice of management systems. The advantages of hoe openers are cost efficiency and penetration of hard soils. Floating hoe openers improve shallow seed placement over regular hoe openers. Disc openers offer accurate shallow seed placement and low disturbance. Double shoot systems allow application of nitrogen while seeding and reduce the number of field operations. Some seeding systems use separate openers for seed and fertilizer which increases the purchase cost of the system. Wide row spacing allows clearance of high residue fields but some research shows a reduction in yield. Residue should be managed at the harvester. Heavy harrows should be used in fields where the harvester could not effectively manage the residue. Fertilizer Placement - Risk Management...The Search Continues Gary had been farming with his brother Glen in the Carrot River Valley region of North-Eastern Saskatchewan since 1980. He has served as the Soil Conservation Specialist for the S.S.C.A. for North-Eastern Saskatchewan. He had the great fortune to be involved in extension work during the early days of direct seeding and observed the many “Farm Shop” concepts designed to place the seed and all of its nutrient requirements into the soil in a single pass. Virtually all of these concepts involved side-banding, where 1 or 2 rows of seed were placed approximately 1.5” to the side and approximately 1” above the nitrogen band. Many of these concepts were taken to market, and a few are still available today. However, during his term with SSCA, he observed every one of these side-band concepts severely damage or kill a crop somewhere every year. Many in the agronomic community were convinced that the problem lay with excessive soil disturbance causing the seed and fertilizer to mix, and excessive evaporation. Starting in 2008, small plot fertility trials were established to try and establish safe distances of N fertiliser from the seed row in one-pass seeding systems using a Fabro disc plot drill. Phosphorous placement strategies were also included in these trials. Come hear about the details and results of the project. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
