Seed Bed Preparation

The Question Now Is:
Do you really know what the various tillage operations are costing you?

Later in this part of the site we have included a table showing the generally recognised costs for various operations normally associated with the establishment of combinable crops. These figures can be verified in various farming publications. E.g. The true cost of one pass with a power harrow today is in the order of £23/ hectare and more importantly with an output of just less than 1.2 hectares/hour.

Most farmers realise that there has been a rapid rise in cultivation costs, but don't always strictly quantify them as individual operations and then as a complete tillage system. When we are being warned of a farm gate price of £60 / tonne then farms cannot afford tillage systems costing £50 - £60 / acre and sometimes even more.

Soil types and the way they have been handled in the past vary a great deal, so this must be considered before boldly changing tillage systems, however, what is certain tillage must be reduced. Everyone has heard the saying recreational tillage, under present economic conditions we can only afford the minimum possible, taking each field on its merits and needs.

Historically the tendency has been to over-cultivate to achieve a perfect tilth, more often that not to suit the Suffolk coulter and other narrow spaced drills.

Economics and the need to improve soil structures now dictate the need to minimise cultivation, but this has posed many questions, one of which is: "Can you handle the embarrassment stage?"

In the early stages the crop will often look less than tidy, but the savings in time and cost will more than offset this and once the spring growth takes off you will be able to relax and enjoy the benefits.

Moore Benefits

The Moore Unidrill does not require fine seed beds to drill effectively and achieve good sowing depth and excellent seed/soil contact, which are critical to successful crops. This is due to the design of the high inertia disc coulter assembly, which prepares a mini seedbed into which the seed is placed, by virtue of the action of an angled straight disc coupled with a soil engaging seed tube coulter, followed immediately by a heavy press wheel which runs accurately over the narrow tilled seed trench, closing it firmly to ensure excellent seed/soil contact. This system promotes early and even germination and vigorous growth. Minimal soil disturbance ensures good moisture retention and avoids activating weed re-germination between the rows.

The firm pressing of soil around the seed helps prevent slug damage and leaves a corrugated finish, with soil tightly pressed around the seed, but loose on the ridge between the rows. This finish aids surface water drainage, prevents capping and protects the young seedlings from wind damage whilst retaining seedbed moisture.