Australia
March 23, 2007
Key points:
- Project aims to improve
general disc seeder performance in Australia
- Zero-till/no-till growers
urged to complete national survey on disc seeders
- Project outcome includes
guidelines for disc seeder selection and operation
Zero-till and no-till growers
across Australia are being urged to complete a
national survey aimed at improving the general performance
of disc seeders in Australian cropping systems.
The survey, supported by growers and the Australian Government
through the Grains Research and
Development Corporation (GRDC), is being conducted by the
University of South Australia's
Agricultural Machinery Research and Design Centre (AMRDC).
The centre's Dr Jack Desbiolles urged growers and contractors
with experience operating disc seeders in zero-till or no-till
cropping systems to complete the survey.
"Disc seeders are an integral part of zero-till farming
systems," Dr Desbiolles said. "They disturb the soil less than
tine-based no-till systems, enabling large quantities of
undisturbed surface residues to be retained. These lead to
significant environmental and economic benefits in weed control,
moisture conservation, reduced soil erosion and improved soil
health.
"Disc seeders, however, have their limitations. These include
poor operation in sticky soil conditions and erratic performance
under high levels of crop residue, particularly in combination
with soil-applied herbicides and with residue-sensitive crops
such as canola.
"The survey aims to capture the disc seeder experience of
zero-till and no-till croppers under a range of Australian soil
and rainfall conditions. This will be combined with current
research knowledge to develop guidelines on for disc seeder
selection and operation, including paddock management and
cropping strategies.
"This is the sort of data needed by farmers if they are to make
informed decisions about adopting zero-till systems."
The AMRDC will work closely with regional farming systems groups
and the CAAANZ network of no-till farmer associations to extend
results of the national survey to growers.
Growers and contractors with disc seeder experience can also go
into a no-till prize draw if they complete the survey before
June 30 this year.
To access the survey online, growers should visit
www.unisa.edu.au/amrdc/disc-seeder-survey.
Growers can also request a
hard-copy survey from Dr Desbiolles by calling (08) 8302 3946 or
emailing
jacky.desbiolles@unisa.edu.au |
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