To press the seed slot or not?

We all know there are seeders that run a press wheel over the seed after the seed is placed, and seeders that run a simple harrow or other device that covers the seed with loose soil.

How much pressing is needed for your soils and cropping? Full weight of the machine on transport wheels, or simply the spring loaded pressure of a small press wheel?

If you harrow or cover the seed with loose soil, do you press later for autumn plantings? How about later spring plantings?

Same for those that run disk seeders. Do you see a difference where either the transport wheels ran over the seed slot while seeding, or where you traveled over the field in transport for a ways?
 

Adeptandy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
PE15
Can only speak as I find, but I've had better establishment using a Vaderstad drill than when I used a Machio/Sulky PH combo unit :)
 
Ditto had better establishment with disc seeder with only combined gauge cover wheel than with 750a with guttlers but different years so not direct back to back comparison. Deere did not close slots well in places and emergence suffered
 
I think you need to cover the seed in the slot as much as possible. A tine of some sort is more likely than a wheel to do it. If you then press with a wheel....perfect.
The only real need to cover slots is to hinder pests (slugs, crows etc).
I always up the rate 10% anyway to cover all eventualities.
 
I think you need to cover the seed in the slot as much as possible. A tine of some sort is more likely than a wheel to do it. If you then press with a wheel....perfect.
The only real need to cover slots is to hinder pests (slugs, crows etc).
I always up the rate 10% anyway to cover all eventualities.
If you don't cover the slot the seed cannot be properly sown and is vulnerable to drying out and delaying germination or worse holding water and drowning the seed. If the seed isn't covered and it is treated it's also a bit naughty. Slot closure is the difference between drilling and broadcasting imho.
 
It would seem that one should also take note that if the weather is going to turn hot and windy, that a compressed bit of wet soil over the seed slot may turn hard and dry before the plant can emerge.

I know that we are "supposed to" wait for the right conditions to plant, but that is not always possible for various reasons.
 
Slot closing is not as important and some would make out, that's what we've found anyway

If you have the humidity then its ok. If you happen to have a long dry spell it can be regrettable if the soil dries before roots are strong enough - happened to me once in 10 years though. I value seed firming now more than I do slot closure though generally now because I don't seem to be too bad for slugs and rain is never far away and I roll as a matter of habit
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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