Direct drilling requires a global approach to the cropping system, taking the farm, the soil, and climatic conditions into consideration. The underlying principles of direct drilling consist in eliminating tillage, having permanent plant cover, and crop rotation. When the method is mastered, it provides many advantages, produces good yields, and maintains soil fertility. Let’s take a look at some practical tips for direct drilling.
A global vision reduces the risk of disease and contributes to weed control
Starting out with direct drilling means rethinking your crop rotation in terms of soil conservation practices. It is recommended to introduce new crops, but this entails looking for new outlets and suppliers. Leaving cover crops or unburied crop residues on the field can lead to problems, especially diseases. For instance, wheat residues contaminated by fusariosis are an inoculum for the following grain crop. One of the most powerful levers is to lengthen crop rotations and avoid growing maize after wheat. Weeds are also easier to manage in longer crop rotations.
Tip: with direct drilling, sow sooner, in the autumn, to counterbalance a slower crop start. Sow later in spring when the soil is warmer.
How to get crops off to a good start using the seed drill for spot fertilisation
It is advisable to start, as soon as possible, with spot fertilisation, putting a starter fertiliser in the soil while seeding. It is important to get the crops off to a good start, when direct drilling in plant cover, to prevent the plant cover from overtaking. Over time, the switch to direct drilling also increases soil fertility and organic matter content.
Choosing which cover crops to plant without ploughing
Direct drilling in plant cover is one of the pillars of this no-till technique. The criteria for choosing catch crops are:
- Alternating crop families.
- The root structures.
- The capacity to resist, repel, compete with, or destroy weeds and pests (such as slugs).
- Their optimum sowing date and method of destruction, particularly for direct drilling techniques in organic farming. The seedbed can be cleared with a shredder, a roller, with frost management, or specialised tools.
- Whether they compete with the following crop for water and nitrogen.
Tips: reduce the spacing between maize plants to reduce weeds when direct drilling.
Direct drilling into cover crops
After harvest, spend a few weeks seeding and developing a cover crop before drilling wheat. It is easy to seed after the harvester. Destroy the cover crop with glyphosate. Then the wheat can be sown directly in the residue using a direct drilling seed drill.
Tips: To switch to direct drilling, increase seeding densities to counter lower emergence rates. When harvesting, set the cutter bar high enough to limit residues: it's easier to seed in high stubble.
Sources:
- https://osez-agroecologie.org/images/imagesCK/files/syntheses/f451_synthese-technique-semis-direct-sous-couverture-vegetale.pdf
- https://geco.ecophytopic.fr/concept/-/concept/voir/http%253a%252f%252fwww%252egeco%252eecophytopic%252efr%252fgeco%252fConcept%252fPratiquer_Le_Semis_Direct_Des_Cultures
- Les techniques culturales simplifiées, Dominique Soltner
- https://extranet-ain.chambres-agriculture.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/National/FAL_commun/publications/Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes/VAL_SEMIS_le_semis_direct_sous_couverture_vegetale_-_temoignages_et_fiches_techniques_-_Alpes_de_Hautes_Provence_-_projet_CASDAR.pdf