Harper Adams University has long taken the view that management of all aspects of the soil’s condition, not just its nutrient status, is of great importance in crop production.
10 years ago it initiated a long term traffic and tillage project on a uniform sandy loam soil at the campus in Shropshire, UK.
The aim of the project is to examine the effects of using three different tyre pressures and controlled traffic farming alongside the three tillage depths of deep, shallow and no-till.
Ten years of a tillage rotation
The cropping pattern follows a mainly cereal-based rotation including wheat, barley, oats and field beans, thus introducing the third variable of the effect of crop type into the equation.
The field experiment itself is of a randomised block design with four replications, each containing nine plots measuring 4m wide and 80m long.
The project has already demonstrated the many positive effects of reduced tillage and traffic and these will be discussed at a conference to be held on Thursday, January 13.
Harper Adams online conference
The debate will take place live at the university, but those unable to attend will be able to tune in online to hear the day’s proceedings.
The emphasis of the project is to take an holistic view of the effects that tractor-based farming methods have on the soil rather than a narrow focus on the yield alone.
A total of six speakers will discuss various aspects of the project. The presentations will be given by those involved in the trials and will offer some insight into what may be gleaned from the results so far.
Four of the speakers will be presenting their findings on the various aspects of the trial, including the biological health and physical condition of the soil; the benefits of controlled traffic farming; and the economic viability of a reduction in cultivation intensity.