Danish drilling trial in different systems

Not only for dd, in this area 90% of the spring barley fields looks like s..t both in ploughed and min till systems.
Imo true dd spring crops will only work in 1 out of 5 years here in Denmark. All the other years we have to move to top soil to get some water out of the soli. Otherwise it will never get dry and warm enough. And if you wait long enough to make it dry and warm up on it's own it will be too late for a high yield spring barley crop.
My spring beans is a good example one swallow pass with a cultivator = 100% germination and a cracking looking crop, dd beans 70-80% germination, the rest of the planets is halfway eaten by slugs.
I still think dd is the way forward, but if the result will be better after a pass with a cultivator I wouldn't hesitate to pull the cultivator out of the sheed.
In 3 out of 5 years we have drought in May & June here. In these years DD of spring barley wins, because it has more water capacity.
Have a 50% ownership of combine together with a plowing farmer, so I know hes results, and he never has higher yields in barley. This year will be exiting to follow!
 

York

Member
Location
D-Berlin

York

Member
Location
D-Berlin
York: It is free draining - I have scientists mesuring this two times every year in the same fields and comparing to plowed fields, and they report it is very high. Never problems with rain because of micro- and makro pores. All this theory about mg/Ca - has it ever been documented in any trial or by any science? I have white calcium underground just 70 cm below surface and a lot of nightcrawlers pulling it op. And I have low/medium Mg values. As I understand the theory should be that high Mg values to Ca is causing problems!
The soil was perfect last year and will propably be again in the autumn! No visible compaction or signs from wheels at all. It was the right thing to wait. Not even in headlands is there any problems to see. We just needed some heat - thats all. Years and weather is different.
I will not disturb the soil because it damages rainworm channels and soil life - the photos show cathes in just one night in a pitfall trap in spring barley. That prevents aphid attacks later!
By the way: it looks better and a change is on its way. A trip in the neigborhood today showed many plowed spring barley fields beginning to stop looking good. Many fields becomes yellow and plants has thin leaves and seem to have problems. DD fields is now getting more darkgreen and makes a lot of tillers.
Soeren,
yes, there is scientific evidence. Just look on Israel research out of the late 80's & early 90's on the topic of "water holding" ability of Soils in relation to Mg.
Now, it doesn't mean that your high Ca soils, I can tell you there are a vast number of TFF writers having similar soil. Cliffs of Dover beeing the most prominent example.
All I can say is that I find in many areas of DK, of which I have seen now results which I understand, similar challenges than in the eastern part of GB.
And I have no doubts that increased above & subsurface biology will help this and also controlling aphids. this is what we see over here as well. People which haven't used insecticides for 5+ years on their farm, even when growing OSR & oats for human consumption.
York-Th.
 

JDJ

Member
I'm getting a idea of the soils in DK and so far the situation is home made, so to say. If you would look at your Ca & Mg+, the soil chemistry, which builds the house (porosity) for the soil life I think you will see a significant change.
Now, some: change chemistry is not all. Agreed,.
What was there 1st?
Even the evolutionists say:
1st was the minerals
2nd was the life
So without the minerals no soil life, and no house.
Regulation of spring moisture:
you can do this by tillage or by plants.
but also through changing the soil chemistry to be more naturally free draining to help the about 2 options / choices.
York-Th.
There's no doubt that the soils here in Denmark is suffering, from lack of nitrogen..
We stopped ploughing 15 years ago, started selling straw because the machines and knowledge available here at the time couldn't handle the straw.
Our soil improved a lot, 5 years ago we stopped selling straw and in those five years the soil improved more than the first ten. 2 years ago when began direct drilling and moved to a better crop rotation, and I'm pretty confident that the next few years will change the soil even more than the first 15 did.
So we are aware of going on in biology of the soli.
Maby in some years we will be able to do the spring crops without help from the cultivator, but the season is just shorter here in Denmark, and the weather is colder.

Jacob
 

York

Member
Location
D-Berlin
There's no doubt that the soils here in Denmark is suffering, from lack of nitrogen..
We stopped ploughing 15 years ago, started selling straw because the machines and knowledge available here at the time couldn't handle the straw.
Our soil improved a lot, 5 years ago we stopped selling straw and in those five years the soil improved more than the first ten. 2 years ago when began direct drilling and moved to a better crop rotation, and I'm pretty confident that the next few years will change the soil even more than the first 15 did.
So we are aware of going on in biology of the soli.
Maby in some years we will be able to do the spring crops without help from the cultivator, but the season is just shorter here in Denmark, and the weather is colder.
Jacob
Sorry, this is not a Argument, it's rather a excuse.
Even in Alaska, where the season is even much shorter, they do spring crops without the help of cultivators, to name a other extreme.
And I'm not against you using the cultivator, just questioning your reasoning behind it. In the end you just admit, that the current approach not using a cultivator for spring crop establishment is not resulting in a acceptable success rate it means that in your system a, until now, not addressed parameter is not in right shape. As long as you will not look at this parameter you might not see the security in establishment without a cultivator you need. I have my doubts that cover crop & rotation will be enough.
Just my few cent's and sure, they are debatable.
York-Th.
 
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