THOUGHTS OF BEGINNING ZERO TILLAGE

By George Fotheringham.

Our farm is in the southwest corner of the province. It is comprised of Oxbow Clay Loams and Bede Sands. The Clay Loams are poorly drained, slightly rolling with potholes and rocks. The sands on the other hand are well drained, flat without rocks.

The average precipitation in our area is variable to say the least. Experts say averages should be 17 inches annually but that is debatable. We can count on good heat units on a regular basis, sometimes just a little extreme.

So why would a conventional tiller want to become a zero tiller? Here are the reasons our farming operation has been changing.

The drought of 1988 - average wheat yields that year = 7 bushels/acre. In the southwest of Manitoba soil moisture has been at a premium for at least 8 years.
An aging equipment fleet - equipment purchases were becoming harder to justify and equipment would not last forever.
Labour - we were logging high tractor hours.
Conservation program that assisted farmers to demonstrate zero till equipment and practices on their farms.

When all was considered it was evident that a different farming method would have to be implemented to keep the farm viable - hence zero tillage.

Let's talk about the basic zero till principles.

Chaff & Straw Management. - Good chaff and straw management is absolutely essential - it can not be overemphasized.

Why - (1) Well spread chaff and straw acts as an insulation not allowing evaporation of moisture.

(2)Spreads all crop and weed seeds - therefore allowing for effective control with spring applied chemicals - burn off and incrop.

(3)Allows for better crop germination and even crop development.

Fall Weed Control. - On our farm this has been not limited. Normally in the southwest our falls are dry not enhancing volunteer grain growth or winter annuals. But be aware of the potential and be ready to fall spray if the need arises.

Spring Burn off. -The burn off treatment becomes more essential as the season progresses. You may be able to get away without a burn off with early seeded crops.

do not apply Roundup or Rustler without ammonium sulfate - we use 1 lb/acre - for 7 cents/acre you can not go wrong.
Roundup does not kill seedling volunteer cereal grains or grassy weeds. You may get some escapes that are just coming through the ground at spraying time.
Use low water volumes. - 4-5 GPA.
We use .25 - .5 1/acre on fields where quack grass is a concern.

Seeding - We use a Bourgault airseeder equiped with dutch knives and deep "V" poly packers.

shallow seeding is advantageous - but you still need adequate moisture, put the seed to where it will germinate.
Do not skimp on seed, you can bump seeding rate.
If you use ditch knives - replace on a regular basis.
Do not harrow after seeding - this takes away the deep "V". The "V" acts as a rain gutter for trapping the smallest amount of moisture as well it acts as protection for small seedlings from wind.
Watch your field speed - the more dirt you throw around the shanks enhances weed germination.

Do not delay seeding - get seeding as early as possible. This is very important.
Damp weather or humidity could present a problem with clearing of some trash - this will cause residue piles.

In crop weed control and harvest are much the same as in other cropping systems. Leave stubble at a sensible height something that is workable and will clear 8 - 12".

Some Problem Areas:

Border Sanitation - This has become a problem around field borders and wooded bluffs etc. - the quackgrass tends to creep out and low rates of Roundup has little effect. We use a small 16' sprayer rig for spraying these areas. This has worked well but do not spray into areas where you will not seed. This just enhances other weed species eg. Canada thistle.

Grasshoppers - Zero tillage has had the blame laid on it for higher grasshopper populations in our area. Grasshoppers tend to be a weather related phenomenum - we have had grasshopper problems when we conventional tilled as well. I am no expert but it is my opinion grasshopper populations have no bearing on tillage practices.

Crop Rotation - We had a poor year in 1991 - I think a lot of our problems could have been alleviated by a better rotation. We are now working towards a cereal, oilseed, cereal, pulse rotation. Not only will a good rotation aid in lower crop disease incidents, it will also help in moisture control - You will find that some springs wheat on wheat will be your wettest stubble. The rotation will help you get to the field quicker.

Chemical Rotation - This can not be underestimated. A good herbicide rotation is needed so that you can use herbicides longer. Take a hard look at your chemical use.

Fertilizer Placement - We have applied fertilizer in 2 methods.

All with the seed.
Fall band NH3 with dutch knives.

1)a. This method has worked well - but could be a problem if rates are high - seed burn etc.

2)a. Works well - leaves good stubble standing

- uses low cost nitrogen

- this is an extra field operation

- in the southwest this could dry soil out quicker??

Some Advantages of Zero Till -

Very good for conserving moisture and soil.
You will pick less rocks - There will still be the odd one.
Labor savings - hours on tractors.
Equipment savings - less equipment needed.
Fuel savings.
Can produce as good and better yields than conventional till.

Some Disadvantages -

Higher chemical costs - this can be overcome by good rotations, less fuel, less labor and less equipment.
Fields are rougher - but this slows down the deer hunters.

Changing to zero tillage is not easy there is much tradition involved which is difficult to put aside. Management and sound agrinomic practices can not be forgotten. Patience in large doses will be beneficial as well there will come a time when it will be hard to turn back to conventional method of farming.

We are quite new to zero tillage, but are pleased with the result to date. Not every experience has been good and we have made mistakes. I also know of good conventional farmers who make mistakes too!