Agriculture Canada researchers will put 10, 12, 14 and 16 inch row spacings under the microscope this summer at the department’s research farm in Indian Head, Sask.
Research scientist Guy Lafond says the trials will continue for a number of years.
“The real driver behind this is how to best capture the value of tall stubble for snow catch,” Lafond said.
“As producers move toward wider spacing, there’s less soil disturbance, and that’s a good thing. But the side band becomes more concentrated. At what point do we start to have problems? Also, do we see greater efficiencies in a more concentrated band? As of this spring, we have a new plot drill that’s designed to help us look more closely at these issues.”
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Lafond said the plot drill the farm has used until now gave researchers a confounding affect when dealing with row spacing. The openers that weren’t used were still in the ground, thus creating soil disturbance.
As well, research that started in the late 1980s has become obsolete because it used broadcast ammonium nitrate and openers that have long since become museum pieces.
“This new plot drill is very simple. We can quickly change row spacing without wrenches or tools.”
The new drill was designed and built by Norbert Beaujot at Seed Master and consists of two I-beams, each with four openers. An opener set that isn’t needed is simply lifted up out of the way.
Each opener is mounted to the I-beam with UHT plastic slider material and pinned into position. Operators change the lateral location of an opener by pulling the pin and using a hand winch to pull it to the new position. The pin is inserted to lock everything in place and the drill is ready to go again.
The drill uses Seed Master openers and a Valmar metering system that the Indian Head farm already owned. The drill is similar to the one Seed Master built this winter for Agriculture Canada’s research farm at Swift Current, Sask.
Beaujot said he and Lafond have discussed short-term and long-term uses for the plot drill.
“In the long term, we want Guy to use the plot drill to help us with seed singularization work,” Beaujot said.
“We want to achieve uniform plant spacing all the way down each row. Not just for corn, but for all crops.”
He said corn growers have known for decades that the ability of seed metering units to handle each seed independently for accurate placement allows each plant to perform better. He wants to apply the same concept to all crops commonly grown in Western Canada.
For 2009, Lafond is planning row spacing trials and will also conduct seed-fertilizer separation trials for Seed Master.
“We’ve been using 14 inch row spacing on our own farm for two years, with fairly high rates of fertilizer,” he said.
“In canola, I put down 85 pounds actual N and 30 lb. phos. Last year, was the best yields the farm has ever seen. Granted, it was excellent growing conditions, but we have not visually seen any fertilizer damage. I think Lafond’s control plots, plant counts and yield comparisons will tell us for sure whether or not we’re getting fertilizer damage.”
Beaujot said 70 percent of the drills his company sells are still on 12 inch spacings. The dwindling segment is the 10 inch spaced drills, at about 15 percent. The growing segment is the 14 inch spaced drills, at about 15 percent. They all use the same opener.
Seed Master openers place the fertilizer band 1.5 inches to the side and .75 inches below the seed. Beaujot said his company’s work has shown that seed safety depends more on side separation than depth separation.
Staying shallow with the tools gives a better seedbed, he added, while ripping too deep disturbs the soil.
“All our openers are made so you can space the fertilizer band over more to the side if you think it’s necessary. But we’ve never heard that we have a problem with that. The only people who feel we have a problem is Bourgault. Between the Seed Hawks and Seed Masters, we’ve got about 1,500 drills out there with this fertilizer separation, and we’ve never had a complaint from a farmer.”
For more information, contact Guy Lafond at guy.lafond@agr.gc.ca and Norbert Beaujot at 888-721-3001.
