Soil temperature and spring drilling

Having patience is often said to be a virtue.  When farming, however, this can sometimes be very difficult to have, particularly in the spring.  As more spring crops are being grown, the pinch point at this time of year can be increased and time pressure builds.  However, with the Claydon Opti-Till® system, timeliness is greatly improved.

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"The top two habits that will decide between success and failure, between real change and staying in the same place are patience and perseverance."  Soil temperatures in the spring can dictate how quickly a crop germinates and emerges.  If certain seeds are sown too early into cold damp seedbeds they can sit there and not move. Usually seeds absorb about 30% of its weight in water; the temperature of the soil does not inhibit this process.

Soil temperature will affect growth of the radicle (initial) root and the coleoptile (shoot).  If soil temperatures are below 10°C certain seeds will absorb moisture but will not instigate root or shoot growth. This increases the risk of pests and diseases attacking seeds, particularly maize, leading to poor emergence, especially if wet seedbeds prevail for a prolonged period.

Soil temperatures this year are significantly lower than last year; the recent cold spells look likely to continue in many places with colder than average temperatures and snow forecast for some. The weather station on the Claydon farm in west Suffolk shows the comparison between this year and 2017 for the same period.  The chart below shows the drilling and emergence dates for oats (green lines) and the relationship with temperature.

Moisture conservation is another key factor when drilling, ensuring that the loss is kept to a minimum so the crop germinates as quickly as possible and grows away without any inhibition. This will ensure optimum performance if other factors are equal. 

The spring period was very dry on the Claydon farm last year, as the graph below shows.  From 24 March until 17 May, only 17mm rainfall was received, this falling within the all-important stage of germination and early growth.

The crop didn't suffer, however.  Claydon Opti-Till moves very little soil, only in the rooting and seeding zone, and soil is not turned over to dry out.   As soil structure is not damaged, water is able to travel upwards through capilliary action to supply moisture to newly-sown seeds.

Experience has shown that after a prolonged wet spell, which the UK and northern Europe has experienced over the last few months, the likelihood of a dry period can occur. The Claydon Opti-Till System, with its minimum disturbance strip drilling, zonal action minimises moisture loss and also removes residue with the action of the coulter point, leaving a dark strip where the seed is placed; this accelerates the increase in soil temperature due to the absorption of all wavelengths of light converting them into heat.