Strip till

[sjt01]

A very interesting setup you have there for Maize. I would definitely call that Strip tillage as you have disturbed some, but not all the soil surface, one hell of lot less than Ploughing or Min-till would do.

Interesting also that I refer to a Claydon Drill as a “Strip tillage drill” rather than a No/zero/direct drill, because it does in fact move all the soil surface, but definitely not as much as Ploughing or Min-till (such as using a Sumo Trio type of cultivator).

Harry Metcalfe uses a Claydon Drill and reckons his fuel consumption for cereals establishment 75%, being 25% of conventional planting.
This includes rolling after the drill.
Nonetheless a very substantial saving over conventional drilling after Ploughing/Min-tilling

You also mention a Sabre tine drill (Weaving) which is becoming a very popular drill around here.
Jeremy Clarkson and Caleb Cooper now use this drill.

I don’t grow maize other than for pheasant cover. Providing it has been Round-up’d off, it seems to work fine as soil conditions improve substantially in the Spring, by the time it is right to drill maize.
I decided to go for a Weaving GD disk type drill to cause absolute minimal soil disturbance, primarily to avoid waking up Blackgrass, which if left unmoved, won’t readily germinate.
I also do not need to roll after drilling, because the following wheels on the GD dose that job for me.
My own saving in fuel cost for establishment are 87.5%, being only 12.5% (ie 1/8th!!) of what it used to be for ploughing, some power-harrowing where necessary, combi-drilling and rolling.

On top of which, because I disturb so little of the soil surface, on the vast majority of this farm, I only need to use 1/2 the rate of Pre-em herbicides I used to require!

This is not only a huge saving in costs but a massive savings in CO2 emissions.
Not just in fuel usage and herbicide usage, but in the fact that a very much larger than those two CO2 emissions is NOT released by disturbed soils, which releases CO2 by oxidisation of Organic matter, when soils are loosened.



If only we could persuade those that refuse to believe that any type of Zero Tillage, including Strip Tillage will work on ALL soil types, we could make a substantial contribution to CO2/Climate change.
But as the old saying goes “You can lead a horse to water………..!
Some just don’t want to believe that it works.
If it can be done on this farm, it’ll work on every farm.

We started with a GD before moving to the Sabre on a KV cultivator converted by @Bob lincs as the GD struggled to get beans deep enough, and on our very abrasive flinty soils we were starting to see quite a bit of disc wear.
Photo of the Sabre kit putting pea cover crop into barley stubble. We like this machine because of the excellent clearances cope with maize stubble and the occasional fallen maize plant

 

[Kentishfarmer]

Correct me if I'm wrong - and I often am - but we are looking at strip drill on maize and were told by the Kverneland rep that we should leave the strip 7 days between stripping & sowing to allow the berm to settle or, in other words, get the air pockets out
Anyone else heard/do this?

Our contractor did the strip cultivator pass and drilling on the same day. Was a good crop of maize so I'd say the rep is talking rubbish
Answering the original question. I think it costs around £150/ha for strip till drilling maize

 

[Flat 10]

A very interesting setup you have there for Maize. I would definitely call that Strip tillage as you have disturbed some, but not all the soil surface, one hell of lot less than Ploughing or Min-till would do.

Interesting also that I refer to a Claydon Drill as a “Strip tillage drill” rather than a No/zero/direct drill, because it does in fact move all the soil surface, but definitely not as much as Ploughing or Min-till (such as using a Sumo Trio type of cultivator).

Harry Metcalfe uses a Claydon Drill and reckons his fuel consumption for cereals establishment 75%, being 25% of conventional planting.
This includes rolling after the drill.
Nonetheless a very substantial saving over conventional drilling after Ploughing/Min-tilling

You also mention a Sabre tine drill (Weaving) which is becoming a very popular drill around here.
Jeremy Clarkson and Caleb Cooper now use this drill.

I don’t grow maize other than for pheasant cover. Providing it has been Round-up’d off, it seems to work fine as soil conditions improve substantially in the Spring, by the time it is right to drill maize.
I decided to go for a Weaving GD disk type drill to cause absolute minimal soil disturbance, primarily to avoid waking up Blackgrass, which if left unmoved, won’t readily germinate.
I also do not need to roll after drilling, because the following wheels on the GD dose that job for me.
My own saving in fuel cost for establishment are 87.5%, being only 12.5% (ie 1/8th!!) of what it used to be for ploughing, some power-harrowing where necessary, combi-drilling and rolling.

On top of which, because I disturb so little of the soil surface, on the vast majority of this farm, I only need to use 1/2 the rate of Pre-em herbicides I used to require!

This is not only a huge saving in costs but a massive savings in CO2 emissions.
Not just in fuel usage and herbicide usage, but in the fact that a very much larger than those two CO2 emissions is NOT released by disturbed soils, which releases CO2 by oxidisation of Organic matter, when soils are loosened.



If only we could persuade those that refuse to believe that any type of Zero Tillage, including Strip Tillage will work on ALL soil types, we could make a substantial contribution to CO2/Climate change.
But as the old saying goes “You can lead a horse to water………..!
Some just don’t want to believe that it works.
If it can be done on this farm, it’ll work on every farm.

You were a sceptic to start with, no? Also do you not need to get a few more years under your belt to be certain that it will work consistently?
Not trying to be confrontational but I'm sure you were a big advocate of the plough and combi very recently....

 

[Two Tone]

You were a sceptic to start with, no? Also do you not need to get a few more years under your belt to be certain that it will work consistently?
Not trying to be confrontational but I'm sure you were a big advocate of the plough and combi very recently....

I certainly was.

Yes, I freely admit admit it, to the extent that I’m on record as saying that I had given up ploughing 3 times and that there wouldn’t be a 4th, mostly on the ground of Blackgrass control.
However Zero-till seems to work just fine and I’ve been trying to find the catch, without success.

Quite simply, it has saved me an absolute fortune and the secret to it is timing, which mostly means drilling in the Autumn early when conditions are good, which suits me fine.
Results when you can do this here so far are at least equal yields, if not an increased yield.
I can see no reason why the system will fail, which various forms of Min-till quickly did due to poor weed control.
On every occasion, it took me several years of top quality ploughing to get BG back under control.

I’m that confident that I’ve now sold my Combi-drill and have a list of 10 other machines, including the Plough, various cultivator, rolls and wide, floatation wheels that I shall sell.

But, to make a success of it and still be making a success of it after 3 seasons, you have to really want to make it work and learn from any mistakes along the way. There is plenty of advice and plenty of threads on the subject.

If you can start off with it when your fields are in good condition, they will stay that way. If not, wait on the fields that aren’t in good condition until a year when they are.

We farm an incredibly wide range of soil types, from sand, to ex-pasture boys land, to Ironstone, to extremely heavy Warwickshire clay which they make bricks and Rugby cement with. It works on all types.
After heavy rain, you can’t walk of the ploughed stuff with wellies, yet can walk on the Zero-tilled stuff in your shoes!
If this doesn’t indicate which system is better, I don’t know what does.

Occam’s razor suggests that faced with two or more assumptions to a problem, that the simplest answer is usually correct. To me, Zero-till is a win, win, win.

So, I’m very glad to eat my former sceptic words and apologise to all those who I didn’t believe and I may have tried to ridicule. Who I’m perfectly able to accept can now say to me “We told you so!”.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Alot of striptill done around here now, but for beet, not maize (not enough brighy sunshine hours for maize, being the reason)

seems to be a far superior outcome than tillage based systems, and far cheaper for that, yielding the same or better.

Obviously(?) machinery costs down here are steep, so it's really just a couple of contractors doing it yet, I think it will take off.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I certainly was.

Yes, I freely admit admit it, to the extent that I’m on record as saying that I had given up ploughing 3 times and that there wouldn’t be a 4th, mostly on the ground of Blackgrass control.
However Zero-till seems to work just fine and I’ve been trying to find the catch, without success.

Quite simply, it has saved me an absolute fortune and the secret to it is timing, which mostly means drilling in the Autumn early when conditions are good, which suits me fine.
Results when you can do this here so far are at least equal yields, if not an increased yield.
I can see no reason why the system will fail, which various forms of Min-till quickly did due to poor weed control.
On every occasion, it took me several years of top quality ploughing to get BG back under control.

I’m that confident that I’ve now sold my Combi-drill and have a list of 10 other machines, including the Plough, various cultivator, rolls and wide, floatation wheels that I shall sell.

But, to make a success of it and still be making a success of it after 3 seasons, you have to really want to make it work and learn from any mistakes along the way. There is plenty of advice and plenty of threads on the subject.

If you can start off with it when your fields are in good condition, they will stay that way. If not, wait on the fields that aren’t in good condition until a year when they are.

We farm an incredibly wide range of soil types, from sand, to ex-pasture boys land, to Ironstone, to extremely heavy Warwickshire clay which they make bricks and Rugby cement with. It works on all types.
After heavy rain, you can’t walk of the ploughed stuff with wellies, yet can walk on the Zero-tilled stuff in your shoes!
If this doesn’t indicate which system is better, I don’t know what does.

Occam’s razor suggest that faced with two or more assumptions to a problem, that the simplest answer is usually correct. To me, Zero-till is a win, win, win.

So, I’m very glad to eat my former sceptic words and apologise to all those who I didn’t believe and I may have tried to ridicule. Who I’m perfectly able to accept can now say to me “We told you so!”.

Not many have the ability to perform a U turn and be straight about it, good for you, wish you every success

 

[Western promise]

I my years I have seen a bit of strip tilling , but the soil needs to be in good condition .
it’s a bit like going from a plough based system to direct drilling over night . So strip tilling into a cover crop or grass which has improved the soil has to be a good place to start ! Also take a look at this rotary strip till machine https://rotor-strip-till.com/
Also we must look at feeding the soil to reduce fertiliser costs , so you could under sow your maize in a traditional system with grass , clover etc & the following year strip till. Look after your soil & it will look after you!!

 

[Flat 10]

I certainly was.

Yes, I freely admit admit it, to the extent that I’m on record as saying that I had given up ploughing 3 times and that there wouldn’t be a 4th, mostly on the ground of Blackgrass control.
However Zero-till seems to work just fine and I’ve been trying to find the catch, without success.

Quite simply, it has saved me an absolute fortune and the secret to it is timing, which mostly means drilling in the Autumn early when conditions are good, which suits me fine.
Results when you can do this here so far are at least equal yields, if not an increased yield.
I can see no reason why the system will fail, which various forms of Min-till quickly did due to poor weed control.
On every occasion, it took me several years of top quality ploughing to get BG back under control.

I’m that confident that I’ve now sold my Combi-drill and have a list of 10 other machines, including the Plough, various cultivator, rolls and wide, floatation wheels that I shall sell.

But, to make a success of it and still be making a success of it after 3 seasons, you have to really want to make it work and learn from any mistakes along the way. There is plenty of advice and plenty of threads on the subject.

If you can start off with it when your fields are in good condition, they will stay that way. If not, wait on the fields that aren’t in good condition until a year when they are.

We farm an incredibly wide range of soil types, from sand, to ex-pasture boys land, to Ironstone, to extremely heavy Warwickshire clay which they make bricks and Rugby cement with. It works on all types.
After heavy rain, you can’t walk of the ploughed stuff with wellies, yet can walk on the Zero-tilled stuff in your shoes!
If this doesn’t indicate which system is better, I don’t know what does.

Occam’s razor suggest that faced with two or more assumptions to a problem, that the simplest answer is usually correct. To me, Zero-till is a win, win, win.

So, I’m very glad to eat my former sceptic words and apologise to all those who I didn’t believe and I may have tried to ridicule. Who I’m perfectly able to accept can now say to me “We told you so!”.

Have you now bought a weaving big disc? What size please.

 

[Two Tone]

Have you now bought a weaving big disc? What size please.

I bought a Weaving GD 3000 M. So, a 3 metre mounted.
The reason for going for a disc type being that it does not burst the soil, creating what is IMO is that a Tine drill would disturb too much soil disturbance, which would wake up and encourage too much Blackgrass to germinate.

The secret of the GD is the 23 degree angle of the discs and then the action of the following wheel, that closes the slot.
The trouble with a Big disc and any other type of vertical disc drill is adequate closure of the slot potentially causing seed to germinate then the slots opening in dry conditions, causing the seed to die of thirst.

So, this drill is not what I’d call a Strip Till type drill. Nonetheless, I can see where on some farms that Strip Till drills have their place. Though these would be too risky with regards Blackgrass for me here.

Take a look at the Weaving GD users thread to see more pictures of how well it works.

 

[sjt01]

I my years I have seen a bit of strip tilling , but the soil needs to be in good condition .
it’s a bit like going from a plough based system to direct drilling over night . So strip tilling into a cover crop or grass which has improved the soil has to be a good place to start ! Also take a look at this rotary strip till machine https://rotor-strip-till.com/
Also we must look at feeding the soil to reduce fertiliser costs , so you could under sow your maize in a traditional system with grass , clover etc & the following year strip till. Look after your soil & it will look after you!!

In 2013 we did some trials for a Defra project involving strip tillage, and Jeremy Wilson came up from Kent with his Oekosem machine, which gave us the inspiration to modify our Duro with the rotavator

 

[TomD]

Alot of striptill done around here now, but for beet, not maize (not enough brighy sunshine hours for maize, being the reason)

seems to be a far superior outcome than tillage based systems, and far cheaper for that, yielding the same or better.

Obviously(?) machinery costs down here are steep, so it's really just a couple of contractors doing it yet, I think it will take off.

Strip till for maize has been going on in the north Island for a long time guess they get better growing weather?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Strip till for maize has been going on in the north Island for a long time guess they get better growing weather?

Yes, alot more bright sunshine hours.

Our area averages 8 hours, which just doesn't quite cut it as far as ripening maize goes, on a broadacre scale at least. I can grow good corn.

They are getting better cultivars though, so it's only a matter of time... by which time regs will likely be in place to prevent intensive cropping...

 

[TomD]

Yes, alot more bright sunshine hours.

Our area averages 8 hours, which just doesn't quite cut it as far as ripening maize goes, on a broadacre scale at least. I can grow good corn.

They are getting better cultivars though, so it's only a matter of time... by which time regs will likely be in place to prevent intensive cropping...

Ah right was gonna say I drove a strip till machine for Austin’s in 2009 and they had been doing it for several years before that

 

[BRBX]

Correct me if I'm wrong - and I often am - but we are looking at strip drill on maize and were told by the Kverneland rep that we should leave the strip 7 days between stripping & sowing to allow the berm to settle or, in other words, get the air pockets out
Anyone else heard/do this?

I can see some milage in this , we have dd with cayena with some success but with varying soil types in fields it was hit and miss . Have put a set of old cayena legs in a old simba frame on same spacings as drill and tried that on rtk and though it needs some tuning the principle is right as it leaves a nice weathered slot to drill into , combine that with a straw rake and we could be onto something.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Ah right was gonna say I drove a strip till machine for Austin’s in 2009 and they had been doing it for several years before that

Here you go Tom
we're just on that baby blue bit at the bottom

 

[TomD]

Here you go Tom
we're just on that baby blue bit at the bottom

I did visit some lads who worked for wallings when we were in the south very different to where we were in the north !!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Oh yeah.. we are possibly 10 months behind "up there" in the spring and have an earlier autumn as well. Glad you got a look around not a bad place, everywhere has its pros and cons for farming

 

[Lowland1]

I have bought a Carre Inro strip tiller for my beans but I have previously rigged a chisel plough to work strips up for my maize before I got a drill capable of drilling directly we never had any problems bar trying to keep the drill on the lines as we don’t have gps on the drilling tractor