Back To The Basics

By Katherine Meitner, Associate Editor

DESPITE ALL THE talk about the latest technologies that claim to boost yields for no-tillers, Ray Rawson of Farwell, Mich., says the key to healthier crop life and higher yields is often overlooked by overzealous farmers.

First Things First. "The first step you should take is to evaluate your immediate environment," the developer of the zone-till system explains. "Each of us needs to know what we have to work with and where we're at."

Evaluating the environment, according to Rawson, means assessing three key elements.

"All living things have to have oxygen, water and nutrition," he says. "If we're going to do well, we have to have a good environment to live in."

Also important is the mindset of the farmer when approaching a no-till field.

"Everything we do out there is going to be directly related to our income," explains Rawson. "We all need to have an excellent stand and improvement of soil tilth. The question is: How do we get there?"

Start From The Ground Up. Turning your attention toward soil quality is a step in the right direction with successful no-tilling, says Rawson.

"Labs tell us that soil air and soil water are critical concerns. Most list it as the number one and two areas to focus on," he says.

One way of setting your sights on soil improvement is to concentrate on carbon dioxide.

"They tell us there is not enough carbon dioxide to produce quality crops," explains Rawson. "We can solve this problem by allowing decay to occur in the soil."

This is good news for the no-tiller, but perhaps not such good news to the conventional tilling farmer.

"Inverting soil loses 80 to 90 times more carbon dioxide than those of us who leave it alone," explains Rawson.

Increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the soil has a cycling effect, according to Rawson. Since plants depend on carbon dioxide for growth, they will have heavier root mass with the increase of carbon dioxide in the soil. The heavier the root mass, the more carbon dioxide will be released.

The plants will only grow healthier and stronger, as more water and more holding capacity will make them less likely to be damaged from disease.

Keep It In Balance. It's a delicate cycle, but as Rawson says, one that can be understood.

"Don't just focus on one crop," he says. "Use a no-till crop rotation system to replenish the soil."

Finding the right system is imperative. The one that works best for Rawson includes aerating the soil with deep slots, utilizing the culture system and focusing on harvestability and water management.

"This is not recreational," he says. "We are all business people, with big dollars involved in every loss. Anytime we go out there with something that isn't necessary, it's a loss. Everything we do, every tillage pass needs to be profitable."

Dig Holes. One way to check your soil type is by reverting back to the old-fashioned way. Dig a hole.

"The first thing I do on a farm is dig holes," explains Rawson. "First I dig in the highest elevation on the field, and then in the lowest. I can get a good idea of soil makeup and what needs to be done for the healthiest plant life."

Understanding the soil is extremely important to no-tillers like Rawson. But he also takes into account the farm's location, weather and climate.

"It's about going back to basics—water, oxygen, carbon dioxide and soil warmth," he says. "Everything we do relates to timing, relieving, lag time and accelerating the plant. We have to take into consideration the difference in location. We plant differently in the North than in the South."

But no-tillers should not play down the value of sunlight.

"Ninety-five percent of everything we get is from sunlight," says Rawson. "We need to have the capacity to utilize that. We can do it with massive plant leaves. We need to keep them green. But we also need to have a massive root-structure underneath that plant to store it.

"It's the things we get free that make the difference. It's our job to understand that."

 

 

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