It’s official. Ploughing is good for soil OM!

[Farmer Fin]

From today’s SRUC webinar. I’m not brave enough to post it in the DD section of the forum.

 

[teslacoils]

Wow. 5 to ten percent om.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Wow. 5 to ten percent om.

The benefit of cold weather!

 

[Clive]

actually seems to suggest ploughing is better than “mintill”. Which is no surprise at all

I see no comparison to direct drilling there though ?


any exposure of soil will result in oxygenation of carbon and therefore SOM loss, simple science really

 

[Farmer Fin]

actually seems to suggest ploughing is better than “mintill”. Which is no surprise at all

I see no comparison to direct drilling there though ?


any exposure of soil will result in oxygenation of carbon and therefore SOM loss, simple science really

No mention of DD in the presentation. Your’re so 2020 Clive

 

[CORK]

Whilst cultivation exposes soil OM to oxidation and loss, I’ve often thought that areas of higher rainfall should encourage more soil OM due to more plant material produced, less oxygen getting into the soil as its damper and less arable farming in high rainfall areas.

This map seems to show a trend.

 

[CORK]

I’ve also wondered if using a furrow press when ploughing would squeeze more oxygen out of the loosened soil and mean less oxidation than unpressed ploughing.

 

[davidroberts30]

I’ve also wondered if using a furrow press when ploughing would squeeze more oxygen out of the loosened soil and mean less oxidation than unpressed ploughing.

Dont say that after you rebuilt yours

 

[Bury the Trash]

Dont say that after you rebuilt yours

but he means that pressing is a good thing

just another. example but when people use these spiky aerators on grassland they get a boost but all its doing is (oxygenating ) burning up stuff quicker.

 

[Clive]

I’ve also wondered if using a furrow press when ploughing would squeeze more oxygen out of the loosened soil and mean less oxidation than unpressed ploughing.

if you must plough then anything that reduces surface area exposed to oxygen will reduce oxidisation

 

[Clive]

I think of ground cover as “paint” on bare metal - it’s stops the oxidation (rusting) process

 

[Two Tone]

With feet in both camps, the only comment I can make on this subject at this time goes something along these lines:

 

[CORK]

Dont say that after you rebuilt yours

Lol

I was going to ask if you meant rebuilding the soil, the press or the plough. I rebuilt our press last year!

 

[davidroberts30]

Lol

I was going to ask if you meant rebuilding the soil, the press or the plough. I rebuilt our press last year!

i know
i took it up the wrong way

 

[PSQ]

Oh, so I've missed yet another SRUC event?

Why cant they just email past attendees with upcoming events, instead of relying on either telepathy or arable farmers having to buy the 99% livestock orientated 'Scottish Farmer'?

Their communications team promote their events like they work for a Masonic Lodge...

 

[warksfarmer]

From today’s SRUC webinar. I’m not brave enough to post it in the DD section of the forum.

This has always been the case though. DD doesn’t work successfully on all soil types every single year.
Can’t see the point in min-till though now. It just makes matter far far worse.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Oh, so I've missed yet another SRUC event?

Why cant they just email past attendees with upcoming events, instead of relying on either telepathy or arable farmers having to buy the 99% livestock orientated 'Scottish Farmer'?

Their communications team promote their events like they work for a Masonic Lodge...

It’s their winter agronomy days. There has been an hour webinar on a Wednesday morning for the past few weeks. Think there are 2 more. Your not missing much. Not even NRoSO points available.

 

[Bossfarmer]

if you must plough then anything that reduces surface area exposed to oxygen will reduce oxidisation

srely leaving the ploughing as close to sowing rather than winter ploughing will help this?

 

[Hjwise]

This has always been the case though. DD doesn’t work successfully on all soil types every single year.
Can’t see the point in min-till though now. It just makes matter far far worse.

Bit of a wild generalisation. My neighbour has practiced min till for as long as I can remember. Their crops are always excellent, very rarely see any weeds (don’t think I have ever seen any black grass). Any system can be managed well or badly.

 

[Clive]

This has always been the case though. DD doesn’t work successfully on all soil types every single year.
Can’t see the point in min-till though now. It just makes matter far far worse.

DD doesn't work successfully for all farmers that is a fact, it does (demonstrably) work on most soil types however just as reliably as any establishment system does (ie no system is 100%)

The variable is the farmer more than the soil