Basic HTML Version
matter has improved with direct seeding,
and with very low disturbance improving
moisture conservation, even in dry years
managing crop residue is still important.
Mercer used a
Flexi-Coil 5000 air
seeding system
for several years
before switching
to John Deere
1895 disk drills
with mid-row
banders about 10
years ago.
He has since moved onto using
combines equipped with stripper headers
since 2007, Mercer said he has found a
better way tomanage residue and still get
optimumperformance from an ultra-low-
disturbance direct seeding system. The
stripper header has fingers that comb up
through the crop and clip only the seed
heads into the combine. Depending
practicing no-till and about 24 per cent
applying conservation tillage measures.
In 2011, Statistics Canada reported 56
per cent of farmers were practicing
no-till, 24 per cent used conservation
farming techniques and only 20 per cent
continued with conventional tillage.
Conservation farming is in a fine-tuning
period, according to Rob Dunn, an
agriculture landmanagement specialist
with Alberta Agriculture and Rural
Development.
“I think most producers today are
looking for ways to take the ‘disturbance’
out of the system,” said Dunn. “There will
always be a certain percentage of farmers
who, for a variety of reasons, will continue
to practise conventional tillage. But
certainly over the past 20 years or more
we have seen the majority of producers
move from conventional tillage to reduced
tillage, to direct seeding with minimum
tillage, to direct seeding with no tillage,
and nowmany with disk-type openers
have systems with ultra-low disturbance.”
But each farm and each region is
different, said Dunn. Many dryland farmers
in southern Alberta are committed to
zero-till direct seeding systems, whereas in
central and northern parts of the province
that see more rainfall, cooler temperatures
and heavier crop residues, it is still
common to see limited field operations to
manage residue and blacken the soil.
“Farmers
dealing with heavy
crop residue are
looking at direct
seeding practices,
and standing
back and looking
for the best way
tomanage this
residue,” said
Dunn. “Can they manage this residue
with a direct seeding system? Or …do
they incorporate a very specific tillage
operation that manages residue, and
perhaps blackens the soil a bit to improve
seed germination and growth?”
Depending on the growing season,
heavy crop residue isn’t always an issue on
his dryland farm. However, as soil organic
on the year and crop, it isn’t uncommon
for Mercer to leave 16 inches or more of
standing stubble a er harvest.
“Years ago, with conventional tillage,
the main concern was the huge losses
due to wind and water erosion of the
soil,” saidMercer. “Fortunately, as farmers
have moved into reduced tillage and
direct seeding systems, we have moved
beyond that.”
His main focus now is to improve soil
quality with more organic matter, and
improve moisture conservation.
“We’ve been at this for more than 20
years and we are seeing improvements
in the soil,” he said. “Soil organic matter
has increased from two to four per
cent. The soil has improved tilth. Water
infiltration rates have improved. Even
in wet years we aren’t seeing as many
sloughs. And in dry years we are seeing
improved moisture reserves to carry the
crop through.”
MERCER-NARY:
Ryan Mercer of Lethbridge stands next to the
low-disturbance John Deere disk drill he considers an excellent
tool for direct seeding even through tall standing stubble.
Photo: RyanMercer
Photo: RyanMercer
Winter
2014
grainswest.com
39
“Years ago, with conventional
tillage, the main concern was
the huge losses due to wind
and water erosion of the soil.”
– Ryan Mercer