Arable Unidrills - An Introduction

Even with the recent higher prices for combinable crops, the substantial increases in input costs, especially fuel and fertiliser, mean that farmers, as ever, must closely scrutinise their costs of production and evaluate their impact on profit margins. Arable farmers continue to realise that establishment costs have a greater impact on profitability than ever before and it is in this area that the greatest potential lies to improve their balance sheet!

There are many tillage systems that can reduce costs, it is a case of adapting them to ensure that the drill performs at its best (both in terms of productivity and precision) while at the same time ensuring that tillage systems suit the crop and maximise profitability. The adaptability of the Moore Unidrill allows farmers to consider all the options available to them to reduce tillage.

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34 years of experience in UK conditions, plus experience around the world, has built up a wealth of knowledge which is readily available to farmers.

Moore Unidrill developed ecological-tillage systems in the early 70's when "stale seedbeds" were first practised, and direct drilling was only possible with one or two drills - the Moore Unidrill proving to be the most successful. The combination of a ban on burning weeds, fungal diseases, slugs, heavy trash and the Suffolk coulter resulted in fluffy seedbeds which then necessitated deep cultivations and the recreational tillage associated with ploughing. The accumulation of these elements led to a dramatic increase in costs. Present economic conditions demand that the emphasis must be on shallow cultivation with skill and not deep cultivation with Horse Power!

This web site is not a handbook for future agronomists, but does offer practical ideas and suggestions for farmers to include, or adapt to suit their arable farming systems, all geared to reducing costs, improving soil structures, increasing productivity - without sacrificing yields.

Making The Ideal Seedbed

On the speed v seedbed issue, and as to “what is an ideal seedbed” well that more often than not, depends on the type of drill, or more specifically the coulter arrangement, being used.

Our advice is, that quite often…. less is more. A Moore drill will effectively make its own seedbed, at the coulter tip, placing seed into a fine tilth created by the action of the disc and coulter tip, the press wheel firms the loose soil around the seed, even better at speed, and so seedbeds need not be made fine and over cultivated, which as well as expensive to create, and detrimental to soil structure, is quite often necessary for a conventional drill.

Instead post harvest stubbles should be assessed for "Conditioning and Conditioned as necessary.” “Conditioning” means that the seedbed should be free draining with no compaction, with whatever trash, if evident, evenly mixed, level, and firm and always finally, existing weeds controlled

This may allow no pre drill cultivation at all, except spraying, in the absence of trash, and were the other “conditioning” requirements are evident…ie. free draining with no compaction, level, firm and existing weeds killed, in other words out and out direct drilling, but sadly these conditioning requirements are rarely found in post harvest practice, especially after or during a wet time. This if you like is the fastest!

Were trash is evident, but post harvest stubble is free draining with no compaction, then surface cultivation at speed, and roll is all that is necessary, to mix the trash, and help speed trash breakdown, firm it up by rolling to encourage the stale seedbed, and finally spray, to satisfy the “conditioning” requirements. Getting Slower, but often necessary. Think tools like Vaderstad Carrier, Horsch FG, Simba Express, Knight Triple press etc.

Were drainage/compaction is an issue, then subsoil work, preferably as part of that cultivation sequence should be used. Slower again, but once again, necessary to fulfil the conditioning requirements. Think Simba SOLO, Sumo TRIO/QUATTRO, Greggoire Besson Discordon, Quivogne Tine Master etc.

Plough!…cant knock it, in a wet time, after roots, etc… on the right land, it can be just as cheap as some of the above, even if it is normally the slowest, but you don’t need to bash the soil into submission, a good levelling press with the right drill is all that it needs.