Fact Sheet 12
July 2004
Getting into No-Till in the Mallee
Farmtalk is a product of the Mallee
Sustainable Farming Inc. Tri-State
Research and Extension team
Chris McDonough,
Rural Solutions SA
Background
Traditionally, Mallee farming systems have
relied heavily on cultivation. This has often
left paddocks extremely vulnerable to wind
erosion. Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc. has
been able to demonstrate the success of well
managed intensive farming in low rainfall
areas, without the need to cultivate paddocks.
Many Mallee farmers are moving to No-Till,
leading to productive farming systems that:
• greatly reduce tractor hours;
• minimise the risk of wind erosion; and
• improve soil fertility and soil health.
No-Till has allowed for more timely sowing
on minimal moisture, and has given farmers
the flexibility to delay crop planting decisions
whilst maintaining paddock stubble cover.
Sowing into stubbles has also made it possible
to grow alternative crops, such as pulses and
canola, with increased safety.
Steve & Fiona Heinrich, Wunkar, SA. Modified John Deere 1610
Chisel Plough
Key management considerations
The Issue
Success with No-Till is more complex than
just purchasing the latest machine. It’s a
whole farming system, and good agronomy
is the key.
Traditionally tillage has produced numerous
benefits, including:
• control of root diseases, e.g. rhizoctonia;
• burial and breakdown of residues, reducing
some crown and leaf disease;
• control of summer & early season weeds,
and stimulating weed germination;
• mineralisation of nutrients such as nitrogen
(N) for crop establishment;
• paddock levelling and creating soil tilth;
• incorporation of herbicides; and
• trash reduction for machinery flow.
Moving to a No-Till system needs alternative
agronomic management strategies in place to
ensure all of these issues are covered, while
maximising the benefits this system offers.
Below are a number of key management
considerations that are deemed critical for
helping the transition into a No-Till
farming system.
Paddock choice
• Choosing a paddock coming out of crop,
rather than pasture, is a lot easier for No-Till
due to less disease, weed and livestock
compaction issues. A paddock high in fertility,
low in grassy weeds and with a manageable
trash burden is preferable, particularly in the
first years of sorting out the management
of the No-Till system.
Trash handling
• Begin at harvest. Cutting stubble low helps,
and good straw spreading is essential, and
worth investing in.
• Aim toward a system that sows into standing
stubble. This provides excellent wind
protection, ease of trash flow and minimal
burying of weed seeds. Standing stubble also
enables light rainfall events and herbicides
to reach the soil more easily.
visit our website www.msfp.org.au
Weed control issues
•Summer weeds can use up vital moisture deep in the
profile, cause machinery blockages and tie up nutrients.
• Early weed control, after the first significant summer
rains, is considered to be the best management strategy
(see Farmtalk fact sheet 10), as large vine type weeds
such as melons can present problems for No-Till. In some
years, a second spray later in summer may
be necessary.
• For crop weeds it is often important to wait 5-7 days
after the season break, to ensure adequate grass
germination prior to spraying with knockdown
herbicide. Trifluralin is effective with No-Till if the
sowing speed provides the right amount of soil throw
(approx. 1km/hr per 2.5cm row spacing), leaving
a concentration of herbicide at the surface, where
the majority of weed seeds lay.
Nutrition
• Adequate nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc are vital,
especially when moving into stubble retention.
With no pre-seeding cultivation, there may also be less
mineralised nitrogen available to the emerging crop
when first getting into No-Till, so extra N may need
to be applied.
• It is preferable for a suitably designed seeding boot to
be spaced separately behind the deeper working point,
and angled slightly backward, so that seed is placed
correctly, rather than falling down the slot.
• MSF Inc. research suggests increased yields are
achievable from boots that split the seed or ribbon
band. This method improves the seed bed utilisation
(SBU) and becomes more important with wider row
spacing. However, be aware that this can increase the
area left untreated by some pre-emergent chemicals.
• For stony soils, hydraulic tines are optimal. However,
any system where the seeding boot can move or flex
independently to the working point is desirable.
Use of presswheels
• Presswheels improve seed/soil contact, accuracy of seed
placement and channel moisture over the seed especially
in sandy, non-wetting soils. Always match the profile
and width of the presswheels to the soil type and width
of seed spread.
• Fertiliser toxicity can be an issue if single shooting
on wider row spacings with narrow points. Greater
than 15kg/ha N on cereals could reduce establishment,
particularly on sandier soils in drier season starts. Post
seeding N may need to be considered instead. A double
shooting system is preferable.
Seeding machinery
• Some farmers maintain the flexibility of a full cut
operation as well as deeper working narrow points for
No-Till by retaining cultivation equipment, or using
knock-on sweeps where ground needs to be worked
coming out of pasture or to control certain weeds.
This practice is usually just a stepping stone towards
a purpose built No-Till machine or No-Till system.
• Good tine breakout pressure is vital for maintaining
good tilth and seed placement, particularly when
moving into non-worked soils with deeper working
narrow points. Refer to Farmtalk fact sheet 3.
• Work at least 5cm deeper than seed depth for root
disease control, and deeper with knifepoints (up to
12.5cm) to address compaction issues.
• Avoid attaching long narrow points if the end of
the point sits in front of the pivot point of the tine,
otherwise, when the tine breaks out, the point is
forced down as it moves backwards, which can lead
to breakages.
SANTFA Field Day 2003
What you can do to move towards
No-Till
• Always seek good information, particularly from local
successful No-Till farmers. Become a member of a No-Till
farming association or a local farmer group.
• Many farmers commence No-Till on a few paddocks
with modified machinery and monitor results to help
resolve associated management issues. Once they have
gained confidence in the system they are then able to
undertake a more committed No-Till operation.
Technical contact
Chris McDonough - Field Crop Consultant,
Rural Solutions SA, Loxton, Ph (08) 85959154
Email - [email protected]