Mowing introduces reduced till to sweet clover termination (Mar 10) - Farmers who want the benefits of sweet clover in a conservation tillage system will be encouraged by a new study from the Lethbridge Research Centre. Bob Blackshaw and his colleagues show that mowing can be an effective alternative to tillage for sweet clover termination.
Reducing tillage in organic agriculture on the Prairies (Sept 09) - Researchers at the University of Manitoba are exploring the roller crimper as a way to reduce tillage in organic agriculture. Tillage is a key tool for organic farmers when terminating and incorporating green manures, and is also a major tool for weed control. However, it has been shown to decrease organic matter, increase the risk of erosion and dry out soil.
Reducing tillage with sweetclover green manure (Jan 08) - Producers may be able to “manage weeds with sweetclover in a reduced tillage system”, according to a new study out of the Lethbridge Research Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Scientists Jim Moyer, Bob Blackshaw and Henry Huang found that killing sweetclover with a wide blade cultivator and leaving the residues on the surface could suppress weeds, and in some cases, virtually eliminate them for the rest of the season.
Seeding: To till or not to till (May 07) - Decisions about spring tillage are always matters of compromise. Tillage accomplishes a number of beneficial goals in weed control and seed bed preparation. It also uses time, energy and water and has the potential to reduce soil quality.
Are No-Till and Organic Converging (Jun 06) - New technology being tested in the United States combines the advantages of no-till with the benefits of organic production. Organic producers rely on green manure crops to provide nitrogen, build soil organic matter and to reduce weed pressure. Traditionally, the green manure crop was killed and incorporated into the soil by tillage. The no-till crimper-roller developed by The Rodale Institute from Pennsylvania allows farmers to terminate their green manure without the use of either tillage or chemicals, and to seed the next crop in the same pass.
