Basic HTML Version
LBERTA FARMERS RYAN MERCER AND JAMES
Jackson farm about 650 kilometres apart under vastly
different growing conditions. Yet for the past 20 years
or more, both have been committed to the concept of
conservation farming.
Mercer's family farm stepped into a direct seeding systemwith
a Victory Seed-O-Vator in 1989, and although equipment and
technology has changed, their grain and oilseed operation south
of Lethbridge hasn’t been tilled since.
Jackson, who runs a grain and oilseed operation at Jarvie, about
150 kilometres north of Edmonton, said a total one-pass direct
seeding system is a good concept, but that in his part of the
world, he has produced the best results by harrowing tomanage
crop residue, along with one field operation just to blacken the
seed row.
Mercer harvests crops with combines equipped with stripper
headers, leaving stubble as tall as possible and undisturbed,
making for easier seeding with a disk-type air seeding system the
next spring. Meanwhile, Jackson gets the best distribution he can
of o en-heavy crop residue with rotary combines, but follows
that with one harrow pass in the fall to better distribute chaff and
straw. He alsomakes a pass with knife banding equipment in the
fall, to apply fertilizer and blacken the seed row, before seeding
directly overtop of that fertilizer band with a disk-type air seeding
system the following spring.
Despite different conditions and approaches, both farmers
have the same objectives: to protect soil fromwind and water
erosion, to improve soil organic matter and soil tilth, and to create
a better environment for seedlings so they get the best start
every spring. And of course, one of the underlying objectives for
both producers is tomake some money—sound economics is
important.
THE EVOLUTIONOF CONSERVATION FARMING
Prairie cropping practices have changed dramatically over the
past 25 to 30 years. When conservation farming and direct
seeding was first introduced between the late 1970s and early
1980s, some early adopters talked about first trying the technique
on the “back 40” at night, so conventional neighbours wouldn’t
see the craziness of seeding without tillage. But times have
changed.
Statistics Canada reports almost a complete reversal over the
past 20 years. In 1991, 69 per cent of all Canadian farmers applied
conventional tillage practices, with only about seven per cent
SEE FOR YOURSELF:
The
green rows of the new crop are
seen emerging between last year’s
standing stubble left tall by a
combine equipped with a stripper
header.
Winter
2014
Grains
West
38
To
TILL
or
NOT
to
TILL
Direct seeding is a customfit for each farm
BY LEE HART
Feature
A