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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-03-20, Page 4210 Fan)) I tfition, Week of Mardi 20. 1985 Trash whippers on planter remove residue to clear area for planting... frotn page 5 the plants, it keeps the soil cooler antl sludge damage is more prevalent, says Trout. If the trash whipper is used too deep, a trench is created because too much top soil is moved away and water, runs down the channel even in level areas, Trout warns. This will cause erosion and cooler, wetter soil which makes it important to move the residue away from the row. Francis Hogan who had a ridge crop of corn last year did, no plowing or disdng and finds the far lesstillage and ridge planting to be an effective soil erosion control. Hogan formed the ridges the previous fall to a height of six inches. A special scraper on the planter clears and levels the top of the ridge to free it of residue Custom Seed Cleanmg AND TREATING (Burk or Bag) • TAKING ORDERS FOR Clover & Grass Seeds Seed Grain & Corn Trucking Pigs, Cattle, Grain [OPPMB LICENCE] Elliott's Seed Mill and Trucking Lucknow 528-3500 528-3110 GOT A SICK MOTOR? FARM' FACTORY HOME There's a lot of that going around lately! If your electric motor is down with the "Bug" gine us a call immediately while thr ailment ran still be treated without major surgery. NEIN MOTORS AT COMPETITIVE PRICES 24 Hr. Emergency Service C3ullitons Quality And Service Al A Good Price For Over SO years 473 Douro St. Stratford 271.1951 and pernut the planting unit to stay on top of the ridge. Chopped Dorn stalks lay in between the rows where they are discarded by the deflectors on the planter. If the stalks are not chopped` the residue will remain on top of the ridge keeping, the soil cooler and wetter than desired for early gern'rination.and emergence. A dean area to plant the seed into on top of the ridge causes the soil to warm up fast in the spring and germination occurs with excellent emergence, according to Robert 1l -aut. Channels full of residue along side the ridges slow the water flow, stop erosion and residue soaks up villter, holding the moisture for the 'planted soil. Some interesting observations were made by Flancis during the growing season, particularly during an intense rain storm. He observed the ridge planted trial remained for the longest period of time without water standing between the ridges. The residue was able to soak up the rain fall and release it slowly the following day. In the trial area, which had been disoed twice, compaction led to poor infiltration of water and more runoff which caused more erosion. Francis did not observe much difference between the no -till and the ridges. Some of the rows had been tramped more by the Combine the previous fall, and at one point during the summer, reduced growth in the rows could be observed in the no -till. Overall growth throughout each trial was even. Weed control was excellent and insects and diseases were not a problem ' laut says the fanners who are using these two methods of conservation tillage have found better natural drainage in either no -till or ridge planting. The natural openings are not disturbed and water can percolate down through the soil. Moisture drains better and the soil Bolds moisture longer. No -till works with sandy soil, says Trout, . reasonably well with loam and well with day soils. It can create problems with wet day however, Trout believes the small ridge to be most effective. Most times a ridge obtained by scuffling once is all that's required. Each farmer has' to experiment to evolve a conser- vation production package to suit the needs of his soil. Lawrence Hogan has built a berm structure to prevent soil erosion on a water worse. The turn to page 23 Farm Or Commercial Buildings KASE VA'ND-,,NH-UVEL Construction Company Limited R.R.2, Goderich Ken Janmaat, Seaforth 524-9176 527-1858 after six