Strip tillage discussed at cereals event
By cultivating only the seed rows, strip tillage promises increased work rate while reducing costs with deep soil loosening, precise fertiliser placement, seedbed preparation, and sowing in one pass.
According to the UK company Horsch, customers with the experience of strip tillage for oil seed rape now want to use it for other crops, such as winter wheat. However, multiple drills for specific roles may be a burden some farmers do not wish to bear.
Many are looking at flexible solutions that will enable them drill a wider range of crops.
The company developed its strip tillage machine, the Focus TD, along this principle, for the removal of harvest residues from the root area and precise and deep fertiliser placement below the seed rows.
A spokesman said: “We want to create a nice friable seedbed in a short distance. In light to medium soils this is achieved easily but it is more difficult on heavier land.”
A French range of strip-till equipment had its first showing in the UK at Cereals 2013.
The Duro Strip-Till, marketed by Landquip, is suitable for planting maize, rape, or sugar beet.
By precisely applying fertiliser within a narrow row, this strip-till system encourages early plant development. Capable of working directly into harvested stubble, each independent row unit achieves a consistent tilling depth.
A spring-loaded leading disc cuts through stubble trash while an adjoining notched disc moves crop residue aside, leaving a clean strip.
A 15mm wide, shear-pin protected leg with a replaceable leading wear blade cuts a narrow track down the strip while a hard-wearing tungsten-coated 100mm- or 170mm-wide winged blade with a working depth of 100mm-250mm loosens and aerates the soil.
This underground soil disturbance aids drainage in wet conditions encouraging root development during early autumn and spring growth, resulting in a healthier plant better able to withstand dry, summer conditions.
Two discs then further till the soil followed by an independent 300mm crumble-roll which compacts the narrow strip, conserving moisture.
A hydraulic auto reset leg is available for non-stop operation on stony ground.
A trailed model is also available
