The Rural Voice, 1983-08, Page 11plans to make efficient use of existing
technical knowledge and expertise and
avoid the duplication of soil conservation
programs.
"A rediscovery in farming" was a
phrase used by Tom Lane, Department of
Land Resource Science, University of
Guelph, who was the noon hour guest
speaker.
Lane says the 1952 Avon Valley Plan
mentions conservation practices as a first
step to find which part of the farm is best
able to produce - - - to maintain fertility, re-
build topsoil and protect waterways and
gullies. It also says proper crop tillage
should be used to make best use of
available moisture.
Cultural methods of farming to achieve
this, he says, would be extended rotation,
green cover crops and woodlot manage-
ment. Mechanical methods would include
drainage, terracing and grassed water-
ways. "It'll take more than one, two or
three years to sort out," Lane says.
"Radical changes will take at least ten
years time. Farm planning Is not new, but
we do know more about residue tillage
than we used to know.
"Good farming is common sense," he
says. "Improved production must be tied
to the total farm operation. The farm must
be re -organized to make better use of all
its assets.
"For a long time we had cheap energy,
cheap fi el and continuous corn. We've
learned, somewhat belatedly, this is not
the best. We have to go back to the com-
mon sense approach.
"Rotation planting always was and
always will be the key to improved crop
production," Lane says.
He also said that the biggest erosion
problems are caused, not by steep
topography, but by long, sloping inclines
where there can be a tremendous volume
and velocity of water.
Bob Caldwell, Hyde Brothers Farm
Equipment, demonstrated ridging on corn
planted in 30" rows. OMAF's John
Schleihauf says ridging is used to utilize
the surface trash and to facilitate the crop
residue In making humus. It helps create
controlled compaction, he says, and in an
eight -row system "75 per cent of the land
has had no tractor tires on it."
Ridging has its pros and cons; it's good
for corn, says Schlelhauf, but he was not
certain about its use in beans. "If there's a
lot of flooding, it keeps the crop up. But
the trash does not decompose as quickly
in Ontario as it does in the U.S. We'll keep
playing with the concept because we
think it's solid."
Rumblings from the farmers questioned
the possibility of the corn roots being cut
by the cultivator and "if you were running
shy of moisture, you might have
problems."
Whatever we do in tillage practice, says
Tony Vyn, University of Guelph, it is no
substitute for crop rotation. There are
substantial gains by shallow tillage and
there's no advantage to plowing four to
six inches. Secondary tillage in the spring
should be about 2" in depth.
Pat Lynch says there's nothing magical
about good cropping practices: "Some
crop rotation practices stink. You should
have a four -five year rotation which
should include one year of forage --- either
red clover for seed or alfalfa. If you do
that, then you are serious about your soil
erosion problem. You can't grow wheat,
barley, wheat - you'll get clobbered with
disease.
"Don't waste seed and fertilizer on the
part of your fields you can't get a crop
off," Lynch says. "It used to be all trees;
maybe some of it should go back into
trees."
Carol Thompson, conservation
agronomist for the District, says they
were pleased with the turnout of over 190
people: "It wasn't just industry and
government representatives - it was most-
ly interested farmers."
For more information on the Huron Soil
Conservation District and its activities.
contact Carol Thompson at 519-482-3428
or Box 159, Clinton, Ontario NOM 1LO.
You don't have to be a scientist to know that crops
that get adequate water do better than crops that don't.
And yet, year after year, farms that invest time, dollars
and hard work on a crop leave the yield to chance by
waiting for the weather to irrigate their fields.
An irrigation system from L.H. will not only increase
your yield, but it will improve the crop quality and that
all adds up to a higher return on that investment you
make every year.
Find out how an L.H. Irrigation
System can make you money.
LII Resource
Management ao
R.R. 3, Walton
Ontario NOK 1I_0
(519) 887-9378
Imgation and liquid
waste utilization systems
THE RURAL VOICE, AUGUST 1983 PG. 9