The Lucknow Sentinel, 1985-03-20, Page 25Lucknow Dis_trict\Co-operative
LUCKNOW 529-7953
The Farm Edition, Week of Maedi 20, 1985 - 5
Ashfield farmers employ conservation practices to save money
Sharon Dietz
Three Ashfield Tbwnship farmers, who are
employing soil conservation practices on their
farms to control soil erosion and save money,
were honoured with an award f Ir their work
in promoting conservation by the Huron Soils .
Crop Improvement Association this year.
Ray, Francs and Lawrence Hogan received .
The Norm Alexander Award, which recogniz-
es farmers in Huron County who have
implemented conservation practices on their
farms and worked to,, promote conservation
practices within the 'county, at the associa-
tion's annual banquet in January.
The Hogans held a demonstration day June
28 last year to inform Ashfield Township and
other area fannerkabout the soil conservation
practices they employ on their farms. A tour
•of three of their fauns included reduced
tillage practices and water management
structures to control soil erosion.
Ray Hogan has a no -till corn cop last
summer which he believes was a better cop
of corn than he has ever grown. The soil was
neither fall nor spring plowed, although
Hogan did remove every two rows .of corn
stalls out of every four the previous' fall and
shallow disced once in the spring.
The field varies from sand loam in the high
spots to day in the low lying areas and the
dop is uniform throughout -the field. 'ash
whippers on Hogan's com planter which has '•
been equipped withseveral devices for no -till
seeding, 'push the residue from last year's
crop aside, and part the rows allowing the soil
to warm up and dry, minding germination
and emergenceof the seedlings. ..
Hogan estimates the variations to his
planter have cost about $2,000 but this money
is' saved because he has done no fall plowing
and less tillage in the spring before planting.
Because he has no fall plowing to do, Hogan
finds he can grow full season on most of his
acreage. He can harvest more cop and leave.
it in • the field longer until it becomes drier
since he can harvest later.
Ray used conservation dise furmwers to
move residue from the seed bed .area.
pnergenoe in the no -till area was as good
or better than the disced trial. Farly growth
was also better in the no -till area with no
killed out areas where water lay after the fann
received time indies of rain bn May 22 and 2
- 3 inches on May 25. Ray now feels even one
spring discing causes compaction which
reduces infiltration and increased water
runoff and erosion.
- Erosion oocuned in the no -till area also,
especially in the two rows where corn stalks
had been fall harvested. In the areas where
all the residue remained, Rayfeels there was
less erosion. Ray says he will pasture Cows on
corn' stover as they harvest it more evenly,
and reduce the number of stover bales he
removes and use more wheat straw corn
fodder.
Ray observed the first year no -till had
better emergenoes than the second year trial,
but this- was caused mainly by small., ridges
which had been formed by scuffling the
previous year. The small ridges gave him dry
soil to hove with the disc funoweus while
planting. Even rows which were driven on by
the combine tires maintained enough of a
ridge to allow easier movement of soil and
residue without planting into a trendh:
The second year no -till whidi had not been
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scuffled was more difficult to plant as it has ,
harder to remove residue without moving too
much soil, particularly where the combine
tires had compacted the soil and residue.
Rainfall throughout June and mid July was
adequate. Three-quarters of an inch of rain
fell between July 15 and the end of August
and Raybelieves he lost yield because of this.
Ray plans to modify a cultivator to form low
ridges in a high residue situation. Effective
management of residue protects the soil from
wind and water erosion and improves cop
yield according to Robert Traut, conservation •
agronomist with the Huron Soil and Water
Conservation District. Traut describes the
advantages of no -till, ridge planting of mops
and water erosion control structures.
Trash whippers mounted in . front of the
gauge wheel on a planter move the •residue •
aside leaving a dear area to plant the seed. If
the residue is permitted to remain up around '
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