1. Unit 7: Tillage & Seeding
CROP PRODUCTION
Unit 7: Tillage & Seeding

2. Tillage & Seeding (149)
Tillage – manual or mechanical soil stirring actions
Tillage Systems – type and sequence of tillage operations used for proper establishment and growth of crops

3. Goals & Purposes (149)
Seedbed Preparation – provide optimum environment for seed germination and subsequent growth
Temperature
Moisture
Aeration
Seed-to-soil contact
Incorporating and mixing – crop residues, lime, fertilizers, and/or pesticides
Weed control
Conservation of soil & water – prevent erosion conserve precipitation, and improve infiltration

4. Tillage Vocabulary (150)
Primary Tillage – inverts or shatters soil 6-14 inches deep; leaves the soil rough
Loosen and aerate surface layer
Incorporate fertilizer
Cover plant residue
Secondary Tillage – follow primary tillage; depth is 2-6 inches deep
Prepare final seed bed
Level and firm soil
Pulverizing soil for seed-to-soil
contact
Control weeds

5. Tillage Vocabulary (150)
Tillage Implements – vary widely among engineers, agronomists, manufacturers, and producers
Compaction – soil has few or no pore spaces, creating a poor environment for plant roots; measured with a penetrometer (on right)

6. Primary Tillage Implements
V-ripper
disk plow
disk ripper
sweep plow
lister/bedder
moldboard plow
powered rotary tiller
chisel plow—combo

7. Secondary Tillage Implements
disk harrow
roller packer
field cultivator
spring- spike- &
tine-tooth harrows
seed bed finisher
row-crop cultivator

8. Tillage Systems (156)
Conventional tillage: normal primary and secondary operations – varies from region to region
Clean tillage: leave little or no residue on soil surface
Mulch tillage: leave residue to reduce soil/water loss
Conservation tillage: leave >30% residue cover on soil surface
Minimum tillage: systems that employ the least amount of tillage required

9. Tillage Systems (Con’t) (156)
Reduced tillage: utilize fewer or less energy intensive operations
Full-width tillage: tillage of entire field surface
Strip tillage: tillage of strips, leaving undisturbed strips
No-till: seed planted directly into previously undisturbed soil
Ridge tillage: ridges/furrows established & maintained throughout the year

10. Tillage Methods (156) Clean, full-width tillage systems
Conventional tillage
Plow and combined secondary tillage
Plow and strip-till planting
Plow, listing, and planting
Other clean, full width tillage systems

11. Tillage Methods (159) Conservation tillage systems
Full width conservation tillage
Chisel plow systems
Disk (and/or field cultivating) and plant
Sweep tillage
Strip till conservation tillage
Lister-planting
Strip rotary tillage
Till-plant
No till

12. Tillage Operations for Special Situations (164)
Sub-soiling: used to break up impervious layers which limit root growth and nutrient and water holding capacities of the soil
Depths greater than inches
Extremely deep primary tillage: as deep as four feet; turn up soil that has been buried

13. Tillage for Weed Control (165)
Tillage before planting – as weeds germinate and begin growth
Tillage after planting and before crop emergence is completed – both weed control and breaking soil crusts
Cultivation after crop emergence – most economical and surest method for weed control

14. General Considerations (166)
Agronomic aspects in adopting tillage systems:
Soil and climatic factors – more crop residues = lower soil temps and higher OM levels
Seed and fertilizer placement – heavy residues interfere with seed placement, covering seed with soil and seed-to-soil contact; fertilizer may be highly unavailable
Pest control – reduced tillage systems allow weeds seeds to remain near surface
Soil conservation – erosion directly linked to surface residue
Economic aspects in adopting tillage systems – primary consideration is net profit over long period of time

15. Objectives of Seeding (169)
Proper depth placement – large seeds have large food reserves and longer hypocotyl/mesocotyl; in some soils, moisture is unavailable at shallow depths
Good seed-to-soil contact – proper planting procedure and equipment; proper tillage; avoid “crusting”
Proper rate and distribution – germination and purity; competitive ability; other environmental factors: canopy, tillering, competition w/other species

16. Objectives of Seeding (172)
Time of planting – late planting can lead to lower yield
Row fertilizer placement – side-band, split boot, and pop-up

17. Manual Planting (173) Problems: Uneven depth Uneven spacing
Uneven covering of seed
Excessive soil compaction

18. Mechanized Planting (173)
Row-crop planters – drill patterns, hill-drop pattern, check row pattern
Grain drills
Broadcast seeders – disadvantages such as uneven distribution/spacing, poor soil contact, requires higher seeding rates
Specialized planters – potato planters, vegetable seed planters, and tobacco planters

19. Website resouces: Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Review Questions (p )
Thinker