HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1991-03-06, Page 75towards cunservan farming when
he first chisel ploughed his
soyas eight years ago. I Mal
feelI needed to use the moler
d
for. bas" he says. .with the,
chisel? 1 liked the crop residue on
the fields and the lower fuel costs.
emu** as fur as ekl goe4 rye
been able to maintain a ive-year.,.
average of 38 "bushels per .aer'e,
whichI'M happy with
When <SWEEP4s " stud set
up in their area 'abut three 'yam.
ago, Gordon: and his, wife Rita were
eager to participate, In 1990, with
the help of PIM technician Kevin
Abma, they haves ` modified their
chisel plow into a, chisel sweep
plough. Instead of producing a
curving furrow, the chisel swweep.
lifts the soil and :.d> to rbs the` soil
profile lessthan the orig "impie
ment. "This kind .of fine-tuning
goes on all the time when you're
trying a new system," says Gordon.
"But it helpsthe conservation
i
fanning pay off n the long run."
Gordon and{Rta..have .also tome
no-till corn, soyheads wheat Q
45 acres of their o fad. Ia a E,
this is theix hind y with l
wheat. "No -till is.'definite
l ► tl , ay
to go on our farm for wit,"',,$a
1 Gordod n:
In 1990, the fist -year in no-
,com and soybeans, the results Were
less- than satisfactoiry`. Both Crops
shed "' 9 rp.yd7><tl
"Ent tohe 53.1fs Rpt? ourriTigors 4:1_15011,!
£:f `z .y=PY.
oral inaybo not ea the *re lead as, we go along.
best fid. Wel like*give them a and to see what works for
, , s Rita. e°
bettorchance." -' pretty
Thi.' ,Irick with n tvati excitetabut 110411."
forming„ , y the Ma hersons, is to . :
tit fQ tb
be eble nrst`I' ears s ate v pastes
'' s . , rive .orae Xs of t'1+ PDQ"
eQL�ite Qf Years
�'�ll�,yt11>t. lean . .. the.._ ., a f Study for them. long' with. most of
questiw y to ate. �e
ir. aa.. the other rators`iu theNettie
fan creek wai"sh+ . they .hay'e �t a
fanners sunk we the ; seen ': rya C
Rita a aette; fedi ofcs ...n g.
i :.a .ta la>ue ei a ,
� -..1tc>ded t
SWEEP 'Cooperators on '�11P - �i
down to *liana 4989 for a taste
'1°7 199'
.�`%adlicua
handlookat some successful "The first. two 'years Of
this nro
ovationfarmers:"It's .arnazing .gm.we--Kational,sgs
what they've been a ie tachieve*-Cordon, "This year we're .tyin
says Gordon. ""Heariung -those mom. ''things in =the field.. When
fawners tan , about how they've fanners lose access fir:: the macula
M�
oncec ► ►
from pada 26A as a necessaryp erequisite ,ori
after: (`our` years of lobbying, the vironomental i