MACHINERY AND TRACTOR
Tines or discs? Working shallow or deep? Jane Carley finds out how to navigate the cult
T
he only predictable aspect of autumn cultivations is their unpredictability. As recent seasons have shown, that old faithful tillage implement in the shed may not cope with extremes of wet and dry. There may also be a requirement for shallower working ahead of a new drilling regime, a weatherproof finish for later or spring establishment, or to selectively target areas of compaction to combat damage from the last spring. On heavy land, operators may be looking to a ‘hard reset’ with a subsoiler. Horsch UK general manager Steve Burcham suggests most heavy land farms will have a rotational subsoiling plan in place. “Where a disc and tine combination has been used, heavy land can dry out and get cloddy on top, or if the land has just been very wet, it is a good idea to subsoil.
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Weapons of cho “At other times it may be necessary to only treat certain areas, such as the headlands and where heavy tractors and even balers have caused compaction. It is common to subsoil the tramlines as well, unless you are in a CTF system.”
Guide Sumo technical specialist Rob Shepherd says soil quality should be the guide. “Looking at last autumn and the unpredictability of the weather, I believe it is more important than ever to take care of your soil. “If your soil structure is good you
can get on the land quicker after adverse weather. “I would recommend using a subsoiler with low disturbance legs early on, giving the land chance to drain before using strip-till seeding. This method lowers your input costs and improves the root structure, which can boost yields.” Another occasion to get the subsoiler out, Mr Burcham suggests, is when taking on a new parcel of land, where the compacted areas may not be obvious in the first season. He says: “Expanding farm businesses may subsoil the whole
acreage they are taking on and then work shallower and more selectively in subsequent years.”
Subsoiling However, subsoiling may decline in popularity as fewer growers establish oilseed rape, one crop which really benefits from deep loosening and is often sown on the subsoiler, he says. Rob Shepherd says that, overall, Sumo is seeing a reduction in subsoiler sales. “The reality is if you are looking after the soil, less subsoiling is needed. Farmers are using the FGinsight.com
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