NO-TILL CROPPING
October 2010
Whereas conventional cropping involves multiple cultivations for weed control and
seed bed preparation, no-till farming is a single-pass sowing system where seeds are
sown directly into groundcover with minimal soil disturbance. No-till farming requires a
commercially available, purpose designed no-till drill (see Equipment overleaf) and
longer-term planning of crop rotations.
INTRODUCTION TO BROWNS FARM
Upper Burnie mixed farmers,
David and Chris Brown, have
been using no-till farming systems
for broad acre crops on their 120
hectare property since 2003.
Today around 100 hectares are
sown under no-till practices
across both their broad acre
and market garden crops
including poppies, peas, lupin,
oats, brassicas, broad beans,
corn, green beans and pumpkin.
The extension of no-till practices
into vegetable crops began in
2007. Around two hectares of
their market garden was used as
a demonstration site for testing a
no-till drill in a range of
conditions with the results shared
throughout the Cradle Coast
region of Tasmania.
On the Browns’ property, a frontmounted roller was used to
flatten green manure or the
residue of previously harvested
crops. Some green manure
crops had been killed by
spraying. The roller crimped the
cover crop at regular intervals
along the plant stems and a notill drill on the rear linkage sowed
seeds into the mulch layer.
Small and large-seeded crops
were trialled. Large-seeded crops,
such as peas and pumpkin, gave
more consistent plant establishment. An area of a small-seeded
crop (onions), sown elsewhere on
the farm, established faster than
those sown conventionally.
The downward pressure on the notill drill was adjusted according to
the mulch loading and crops were
sown into both green and dry
mulch beds. It is important to not
leave too long between spraying
off the cover crop and seeding. If
the cover crop has been dead for
too long, the roots no longer hold
in the soil and the dead plants
tend to be torn out during sowing,
causing excessive soil disturbance
and blocking the drill.
INFORMATION
SHEET
BROWNS FARM,
UPPER BURNIE
No-till sown Broad Beans on
Browns Farm October 2010
Page 2
NO-TILL CROPPING
BENEFITS
The benefits of no-till vegetable cropping were
evident from the start for the Browns and this led
to the five-fold expansion of their demonstration
area. No-till farming is the dominant cropping
practice on their property today.
Key benefits for the Browns included:
•
Less time spent on paddock preparation •
Lower diesel and herbicide costs (the latter
due to fewer weeds because of the mulch and
reduced soil disturbance)
•
Increased organic matter levels in the soil,
leading to increased organic carbon •
Improved soil structure leading to improved
water infiltration and retention. This benefit was
influenced by the reduction in machinery soil
compaction, the presence of the mulch layer and
the subsequent reduction in evaporation
compared to traditional cultivation methods •
Reduced erosion •
Less variable soil temperatures under
the mulch •
On par, or better, crop yields.
“…(the
benefits) led
to the five-fold
extension of
their no-till
demonstration
area…”
(Above) Experimenting on different
mulch densities and crop rotations.
New crop sown using no-till drill, directly
into dead cover crop.
No-till demonstration farmer, Chris Brown.
Page 3
INFORMATION SHEET
LESSONS LEARNT
“..one of the
significant
differences
compared to
conventional
cropping is the
extra attention
required for crop
rotation
planning…”
Front-linkage roller
An important component of the
Browns decision to host the no-till
demonstration was the opportunity to
share their experiences with others in
the Cradle Coast region.
Whilst there haven’t been major
developments in no-till technology
since the Browns began trials in 2003,
their knowledge and understanding
of no-till systems has grown
considerably.
One of the significant differences
compared to conventional cropping
methods is extra attention required
for crop rotation planning – both in
the sequence of crops and the timing
of plantings between old (mulch)
crops and new crops. The time
allocated to no till cropping was still
less than conventional methods when
considering the balance between
increases in planning time and
reductions in tractor time.
Another benefit observed relates to
water use. A pea crop sown into a
sprayed out oats cover crop required
less irrigation compared to a pea
crop sown at the same time after a
potato harvest, which required full
cultivation of the seedbed.
Effective slug control is another
important consideration in no-till
farming, as slugs can be a major
issue. The increase in organic
matter provides a ready food
source and the lack of habitat
disturbance through tillage allows
their numbers to increase. The
Browns use slug baiting and also
factor in a margin of crop loss when
planning; they’re also mindful of
minimising stubble loads in cover
crops so as to discourage slugfriendly environments.
Experimentation was key to the
Browns’ success, and starting on a
trial paddock proved an effective
way of gaining experience to
extend the practice across their
farm. Although some field officers
were reluctant to encourage the
transformation, the Browns found
sufficient local knowledge and
support to pursue the benefits of no
-till farming.
NO-TILL CROPPING EQUIPMENT
The key difference in conventional
versus no-till seeding equipment is
the soil opener technology.
The Browns use an Accord Optima
No-Till Drill which has a double
cutting disk to create a small
opening in the soil before seed
placement. Closure of the seed row
is done with twin-inclined press
wheels. Tension springs on the unit
can increase or decrease the
pressure of the cutting disks to cater
for difference mulch densities.
A roller fitted to the front of the
tractor was used where mulch was
particularly dense or spraying was
not used (e.g. crops with succulent
stems, such as lupins).
Individual farm preferences for cover
crops, seed types and herbicide use
determine the requirement for a front
linkage roller. In addition to a roller,
or as a substitute, spraying equipment may also be used to
prepare cover crops for no-till sowing.
In the Browns’ experience, all
cropping soils are suited to no-till
farming. If soil compaction is a
common occurrence on a property,
a combination of no till and
controlled traffic farming practises
should be employed.
Accord Optima no-till
drill used on Browns
farm
PROJECT HISTORY
In 2007, the Australian Government’s National
Landcare Program funded the project
Incorporating Controlled Traffic and No-Till
into Intensive Cropping Systems in North West
Tasmania.
The project was hosted by Cradle Coast
Natural Resource Management (NRM) and
managed by the Tasmanian Department of
Primary Industries and Water (DPIW) and the
Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
(TIAR).
Controlled Traffic Farming elements of the
project continue in 2010 and no-till operations
have been widely adopted on a
demonstration farm in Upper Burnie, North
West Tasmania.
The contents of this information sheet are
based on the no-till farm experience and
have been collated with thanks to John
McPhee (TIAR) and no-till farmers, David and
Chris Brown.
PO Box 338
30 Marine Terrace
Burnie Tasmania 7320
Phone: 03 6431 6285
Fax: 03 6431 7014
E-mail: [email protected]
www.cradlecoastnrm.com.