Gordon Mcphee
Jan. 27, 1996

Our farm is located in the Dauphin area of Manitoba with soil types varying from sand to heavy clay. The average moisture received is about 18 inches and 110 frost free days with adequate humidity. Generally we have too much water rather than too little. We have been zero tilling since 1977 modifying and changing equipment as new understanding came forth. The benefits of increased organic matter, soil tilth, lack of soil erosion, better water movement withinthe soil, more earthworms and equal or better yield are all evident.

There are however a number of management decisions that are very clear now that were not understood in 1977 that help us to get yield, timing and efficiency in spite of living in the centre of a continent where wide changes in the weather are the norm.

Equipment purchases for wet and small roughness:

1. Tires: We try to get wider, larger diameter, with more mud clearance and use more of them.

2. Equipment weight: We have rejected combines because the weight per inch of tire width was more with the hopper empty than another was with the hopper frill.

3. Tractor power: We have attempted to have a surplus of power in good conditions so that in difficult conditions one can speed up and float through wet areas.

4. Drill packers: Prefer being able to pick up the packers when the equipment is lifted so they will be less likely to plug where it is very wet.

5. Sprayer: To allow speed and versatility on any roughness, springs and shocks on the booms are a must.

Residue management:

1. Straw and chaff evenly spread.

2. Have baled off high residue cereal straw for the last two years making an important difference in next spring's seeding. This will become more important as the yields go up.

Seeding and fertilizer openers:

1. The openers need to clean and have good soil flow around and in behind them to cover fertilizer and seed adequately in a wide variety of soil types and moisture conditions. The wearablity needs to be such that the shape is maintained throughout their life.

2. Critical that they not plug and clean in all conditions.

Packers:

1 Clean and work in a wide variety of soil and moisture conditions and we prefer for each to act individually and give good packing pressure for zero till.

Drainage in the more moist areas:

1 Even though zero till is able to allow better water infiltration and less run off we feel that it is critical that field drainage be designed for zero till. The reason being is that with conventional till water in small depressions will cut a trench draining and lowering excess water levels. However with zero till and trash on the surface and roots in place; small dams of residue are built; actually raising the water level in the depressions and may delay seeding and promote drowning of the crop.

Fertilizer approach:

1. So far we have stayed with a simple single shoot opener.

2. Have put granular fertilizer mainly phosphorus, potash and sulphur with the seed in the spring at levels the crop can safely tolerate.

3. The remainder of nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and sulphur is applied in the fall in sixteen inch bands.

4. This seems to help by having a slot through the residue and a bit of black soil showing to assist in drying in the spring and leave the surface not too sticky.

Ruts in the field:

1. One fall we used a V snow plow which was just the right width to fill in combine ruts then applied fertiliser cornerways leaving the field reasonably level.

CONCLUSION:

It seems that to deal with wet conditions it takes a combination of forward planning; management decisions; choices in machinery purchases, drainage, as well as innovation in difficult situations.