05.09.07 - Wet or Dry - Drill Decisions to be made
This year has reminded everyone how swiftly conditions can change from wet to dry, and that - combined with the potential for further changes - is going to pose some special problems when establishing crops this autumn.
But with a bit of care, Simba drill owners should have no problems ensuring excellent crop establishment this autumn, says Territory Manager Steve Burcham.
"The key is to prepare a good, level and well-consolidated seedbed. Some people chose to plough in the damp conditions early in the season. That has turned out to be the wrong decision for some, as conditions have changed and Solos and X-Presses are working very well now".
Managing drill settings to cope with either dry or damp conditions largely revolves around adjusting tyre pressures:
"The key to drilling in damp conditions is to work without causing compaction or leaving prominent wheelings. In some conditions and soil types that might mean fitting dual tyres on the tractor.
"Tyre pressures are important. If cultivated soil is still sticky then consider reducing pressures - both on the tractor and the tyre rollers of the drill - so that the soil does not pick up, which could impair drilling progress and also reduce the quality of the finished job.
"In damper conditions some farmers may be tempted to reduce drilling depth. We would urge them not to do it - as if conditions turn dry after drilling germination may suffer.
"One benefit for Simba users is that the Pronto DC can keep working longer than any competitor drill in damp conditions, thanks to the gaps in the rear tyre roller, which enable soil to flow through the machine easily, these same gaps also helping avoid 'bull dozing' in lighter soils".
* Among the Simba customers who expect the Solo to prove its worth this autumn are Alastair Leake and Phil Jarvis at the Allerton Research Trust's estate at Loddington in Leicestershire - where heavy clay soils predominate:
"In normal years we could expect the soils to restructure themselves naturally via the expansion and contraction that occurs as they wet and dry. This year that hasn't really happened - they contracted and fissured early in the year but have been consistently damp since then.
"Many years we run the Solo's cultivating legs as shallow as we can because we do not need them to work any deeper than the discing depth. But this year we will be relying on them to get down there and crack any compaction that remains. That means cultivations will cost a bit more and we will be using a bit more power and diesel, but the work needs to be done".
Both he and Phil expect to be reaching for the spade on a regular basis this autumn!
