No-Tillage Seeding: Science and Practice

No-Tillage Seeding: Science and Practice

by C J Baker, Centre for International No-tillage Research and Engineering, New Zealand; K E Saxton, US Department of Agriculture, Washington State University, USA; W R Ritchie, Centre for International No-tillage Research and Engineering, New Zealand

Pub Date: July 1996
Hardback
272 pages

Readership
Professional and academic workers in agronomy, soil science and agricultural engineering, including scientists, consultants, design engineers, students, custom operators (contractors) and practising farmers.

Main Description
During the last thirty years farmers have been strongly encouraged to adopt some form of conservation tillage, primarily for long-term environmental reasons. However, the experience of many farmers of no-tillage suggests greater short-term risk, in the form of reduced seedling emergence or crop yield or even crop failure.
A major aim of this book is to show how the risks in the practice of no-tillage can be reduced. It begins by describing the inter-relationships between soils, machines, seeds and growing plants. Too often in the past the subject has been approached from a purely engineering or a purely soils perspective, neglecting the agronomic viewpoint. The authors of this book focus on the needs of the plants which thus determine the requirements for a no-tillage seed drill. The result of their own research is the inverted T-shaped no-tillage soil slot and the Cross Slot drillTM and planter opener, which are described in some detail. By re-evaluating common assumptions about seed germination in soil, the authors provide a totally new perspective on no-tillage seeding.

Main Contents
• The why and what of no-tillage
• The nature of risk in no-tillage
• Slot shape and openers
• The role of slot cover
• Drilling into dry soils
• Drilling into wet soils
• Seed metering and placement
• Fertilizer placement effects
• Residue handling by openers, drills and planters
• Pasture renewal and renovation
• No-tillage drill and planter design
• Managing a no-tillage seeding system
• Techniques and procedures for development