The Implementation of Zero Till in the UK

britt · Jul 30, 2015

I find that some of those that just took the p?ss a couple of years ago thinking it was all about saving money on establishment are now taking a serious interest.
The message that there is far more to it is slowly getting through.
In the past friends who visited and asked about DD were bemused when I showed them worm casts before the drill. Now they seem to know a bit more about it.
It's 15 years since I bought that first drill. The more I learn, the more I find there is to learn.
You can't expect folks to pick it up immediately.

Feldspar · Jul 30, 2015

ajd132 said:
I don't think it will become overly widespread. I think there's alot of people jumping on the bandwagon thinking buying a cross slot or 750 is the system. They havnt done the homework and hour upon hour of reading, talking, visiting that some have done. There is many getting into the system simply to save money, which in my view is a by product after soil improvement, biology, etc etc. there's also a lot of Mis-information put foward by strip till drill companies which I think is just as bad as maxi till, (deep loosening in wet October soil? Get a grip!) I foresee maybe 1/4 of combineable farmers maybe be zero or nearly zero till in ten years time.
Who else is waiting for cheap second cross slots to come on the market in 3 years time?!

Wouldn't fancy putting a CS through wet October soil either - not exactly a small cross section. Also, I don't think strip-till should ever be about deep loosening. Shallow loosening if appropriate. Drilling wheat into OSR stubbles last year I went as shallow as I possibly could because I knew there was no reason to go deeper. 2-3 inches max.

ajd132 · Jul 31, 2015

Feldspar said:
Wouldn't fancy putting a CS through wet October soil either - not exactly a small cross section. Also, I don't think strip-till should ever be about deep loosening. Shallow loosening if appropriate. Drilling wheat into OSR stubbles last year I went as shallow as I possibly could because I knew there was no reason to go deeper. 2-3 inches max.

Yes agree with that, lots of Mia information about having to go really deep buzzing about though

Toad · Jul 31, 2015

RushesToo said:
I know that you must be fed up of writing papers to exacting standards so can I entice you to take all your work and apply heart rather than mind to it?
Could you turn this into a series of blog posts @JP1 with lots and lots of pictures and annotated diagrams for the benefit of all. You need only aim for one theme a week - or whatever favours your commitments. It might also get you a turn as an Ag journo [nice to be asked even if you didn't want it]

The dissertation is really interesting but 5000[?] words is heavy going when you are short of time and short sharp posts would be digestible to the numpties amongst us. the first few might by:
1. What is ZT - definition, pictures.UK uptake compared to rest of World. Costs of establishment,
2. Cover crops - pros and cons.

I would find this easier to read and it gets a chance to sink in between readings.

Best of Luck Mr. Toad MSc [hopefully]

Hi RushesToo,

Yes fully appreciate your comments about writing some short sharp snippets in an easier to digest format! The current format is as it was when submitted for marking to the University. If I get some wet days over harvest or perhaps in the Autumn and there is still the interest I can look at adapting the format!

Kind regards,
Toad!

RushesToo · Jul 31, 2015

Toad said:
Hi RushesToo,

Yes fully appreciate your comments about writing some short sharp snippets in an easier to digest format! The current format is as it was when submitted for marking to the University. If I get some wet days over harvest or perhaps in the Autumn and there is still the interest I can look at adapting the format!

Kind regards,
Toad!

" If I get some wet days over harvest "

I love an optimist

If there is still interest - ask yourself - do you really think everyone wants to spend fuel to cut worms up and feed seagulls or maybe there is a small spark of interest in making your farm sustainable. I know I am old when I say don't follow history but make the future.

You need a reputation, start building it. Fingers to keyboard on the first wet day could turn out a wise investment.

dgb · Aug 28, 2015

Hi everyone,

In case you're interested in seeing a direct or zero till system to see if it's right for you're farm, DM me or give me a call I'm on 07790032573. I'll come and do a demonstration field, I'm covering the South of England, realistically don't mind where I travel. Would just like to help show that these kinds of systems will help with not only you're bottom line but also you're soil.

I'm running a mounted John Dale eco3 drill, the one in the video was my loaner and I'm getting organised to shoot another video.

mikep · Aug 31, 2015

I hate to point out that the main driving force in a lot of the worlds uptake of DD is moisture conservation which is not so much a factor here!!!!!!!!

dontknowanything · Aug 31, 2015

mikep said:
I hate to point out that the main driving force in a lot of the worlds uptake of DD is moisture conservation which is not so much a factor here!!!!!!!!

Speak for yourself!

But even here we are much moister than most other DD areas, mainly because our evaporation rates are so much lower.

SilliamWhale · Aug 31, 2015

mikep said:
I hate to point out that the main driving force in a lot of the worlds uptake of DD is moisture conservation which is not so much a factor here!!!!!!!!

For me its erosion, timeliness and better water infiltration. And cost

ajd132 · Aug 31, 2015

mikep said:
I hate to point out that the main driving force in a lot of the worlds uptake of DD is moisture conservation which is not so much a factor here!!!!!!!!

Crap, water infiltration in general. You hold more moisture in dry times and allow better infiltration in wet times. More porous slil structure. If you do enough research it's actually very hard to argue against no till, it's just being savvy enough to make it work properly which most farmers aren't.

dontknowanything · Aug 31, 2015

ajd132 said:
Crap, water infiltration in general. You hold more moisture in dry times and allow better infiltration in wet times. More porous slil structure. If you do enough research it's actually very hard to argue against no till, it's just being savvy enough to make it work properly which most farmers aren't.

Have you just bought a CS?

ajd132 · Aug 31, 2015

dontknowanything said:
Have you just bought a CS?

No I have my Horsch on Dutches. Zero till won't be an instant thing here. V reduced cultivations at the moment with a horsch joker and some zero till with horsch.

ajd132 · Aug 31, 2015

dontknowanything said:
Have you just bought a CS?

And what I said about being savvy, doesn't mean rushing out and buy a CS!

dontknowanything · Aug 31, 2015

ajd132 said:
And what I said about being savvy, doesn't mean rushing out and buy a CS!

I was only asking because of a cryptic comment you made on twitter

ajd132 · Aug 31, 2015

dontknowanything said:
I was only asking because of a cryptic comment you made on twitter

Wasn't meant to be cryptic, the book cost me £80 off amazon.

dontknowanything · Aug 31, 2015

ajd132 said:
Wasn't meant to be cryptic, the book cost me £80 off amazon.

[you could have borrowed mine if you wanted]

ajd132 · Aug 31, 2015

dontknowanything said:
[you could have borrowed mine if you wanted]

I had been drinking heavily. I regularly spend enourmous amounts of money on all sorts of books when I'm drunk. I have quite an expansive library now.

SilliamWhale · Aug 31, 2015

ajd132 said:
Wasn't meant to be cryptic, the book cost me £80 off amazon.

Its free here:

http://www.fao.org/3/a-al298e.pdf

(sorry if i've pee'd on your chips now)

ajd132 · Aug 31, 2015

SilliamWhale said:
Its free here:

http://www.fao.org/3/a-al298e.pdf

(sorry if i've pee'd on your chips now)

I like to have many leather bound books.

dontknowanything · Aug 31, 2015

ajd132 said:
I like to have many leather bound books.

You could print out the pdf and get a leather folder from rymans

The Implementation of Zero Till in the UK

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