Vaderstad TopDown Brochure - LiveUpdater

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Reduced tillage wIn reduced tillage, it is importantto set biological targetsthat should be implementedand achieved. Increasing thehumus concentration in theupper topsoil can be such atarget. It improves the reliabilityof crop emergence since therisk of soil crusting is reduced.Better drainage in the soilprofile can be another target. Itis achieved because earthwormsthrive when the ploughis left idle.Higher humus content at the surfaceAn increase in the humus concentrationin the upper topsoil is one of the greatestadvantages of shallow, reduced tillage.Many farmers who have practised reducedtillage for decades often view that asthe most important aim. Since harvesttrash is not mixed into a deep soil layer,the amount of humus in the uppermostlayer increases, while further down inthe soil profile it decreases. Reduced tillageis a question of redistributing thesame amount of harvest trash over ashallower depth.More reliable emergenceThe risk of crusting decreases as a resultof the humus increase in the surfacelayer. This improves crop establishmentand makes it more reliable, particularlyon weak-structured soils with a low claycontent or on silty soils. If it rains soonafter drilling, the high humus concentrationat the surface comes into effect. Thestraw cylinders embedded in the transition,between the soil surface and the air,that have not yet decomposed also havethe effect of creating aeration channelsaround them.
orks with natureHow to begin!Even if the aim is clear, the route toreduced tillage can be hard to find.Here are some tips to help you onyour way.Straight after the combineA first pass should be made as soonas the combine has left the field.Such quick action has many advantages.The soil is softest just afterthe crop has been harvested andthe machine can easily work its waythrough. The firmed soil left by thisfirst pass also forms a barrier toevaporation, so soil water is conserved.In addition, weed seeds andvolunteers germinate at once, sothey can be controlled mechanicallyor chemically at a later stage.Loosen if neededA second pass is always of benefit iftime allows. The first pass starts thedecomposition of harvest trash,while the second can be dedicatedto achieving a particular outcome. Ifthe soil structure at depth is good,the soil does not need to be loosened,so the second pass can be arepeat of the first. However, if thesoil is in need of loosening at depthbecause of hardness or a pan, thesecond pass can well be devoted tobreaking up this dense layer.Worms thriveBetter drainageA clear effect of converting to reduced tillageis the improvement in the earthwormpopulations in the soil. This change occursrather soon – after only three years of reducedtillage to 10 cm, the quantity of earthwormsis doubled in terms of both numbersand weight compared with ploughed soil.This is particularly true for the importantearthworm species that dig vertical channelsin the soil. They look for their food atthe soil surface and are favoured if harvesttrash is concentrated at the surface and notdistributed to ploughing depth.When the soil is not loosened by theplough each year, some compaction candevelop in the lower topsoil. On theother hand, the plough pan is graduallyloosened up. The soil pores in the transitionbetween topsoil and subsoil remainintact when they are not disrupted byploughing. They interconnect to create anetwork, which means that drainage ofwater through the soil gradually improvesover time. This effect can be enhancedby the activity of earthworms, whichimproves both drainage and aeration.The best way of deciding whatdeep tillage is needed is to dig ahole by hand in the field. The soilstructure can then be examinedand assessed and the diagnosis canbe used to decide the need forloosening.
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