Timely Cultivation Is The Foundation Of The Crop

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 63, Issue 4, 15 October 1941, Page 297

Timely Cultivation Is The Foundation Of The Crop

“Where grows? Where grows it not? If vain our toil We ought to blame the culture, not the soil.” , Pope. WITH today’s modern, high-speed methods, improved seed and scientific fertilisation, the objects of cultivation are, being slowly but surely lost sight of, or are being pushed into the background; yet the successful crop still depends on thorough and timely cultivation, whether it be an annual one, such as wheat, or a permanent one of grass. High-powered tractors, multi-furrow ploughs, combination harrows, cultivators, rollers, seed and manure are all useless . to secure economic returns if their use influences the departure from basic principles established centuries ago. The early agriculturist had but one means of producing a crop—that of cultivationand this he developed to a high degree. Even today, proper cultivation is still the well-built house in which the crop weathers the storm. Manures, improved seed and power are only additional modern improvements; yet these are the cause of the increasingly familiar sight in spring of the untouched stubble .of last autumn’s crop. The introduction, of power to the farm has caused a slackening of the effort in crop production, undoubtedly due to the knowledge that the work can now be done so much more quickly. The result has been that the time factor, which is perhaps the most important aspect of cultivation, is not allowed to operate properly. If, however, modern methods are used in combination with this essential, the result will be an all-round increase in crop yield and fertility and a decrease in expenditure. In working land of any description, the object is to provide a suitable place for the particular crop to thrive and grow to its best advantage. In this respect, the habits of the crop must be considered. For instance, what is suitable for wheat would be totally unsuitable for peas. It is not, however, the intention to give an account of the method of acquiring suitable conditions for any particular crop or crops or the cultivation necessary

By

W. C. STAFFORD,

Irrigation Officer Timaru.

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii for different soil types. The endeavour is to show that unless the cultivation is carried out with thought to the objective and over a sufficient period, it is not ; possible to secure the best result. . . Two Objects Cultivation is carried out with two objects in view—firstly, the formation of a satisfactory seed bed, and secondly—and more important, as if this is carried out the former follows as a resultthe working of the soil at such a time and in such a manner

that those factors which are essential for good germination, growth and productivity are' brought about to the best advantage of the crop. It is because of the ease with which the first factor can now be brought about that the second function is being lost sight of. How often today is the cultivation for any particular crop disposed of by the phrase, “The land should be brought to a satisfactory seed bed”? With plenty of power available on the farm, a mechanically satisfactory seed bed can be produced too easily today. Yet such a result can be, and too often is, totally unsuited for crop growth. It is in the second object that the secret of good cultivation lies. This is the factor which distinguishes the good crop from the poor one. The influence of cultivation on land lies in its ability to control soil structure, soil, air, soil moisture, bacteria, and plant

food, and it should be the- object to till the ground at such a time and in such a manner that the most satisfactory condition suitable for crop growing is produced. As a general rule, it is the use of the wrong implement at the wrong time that is often the cause of poor crops. Instances of this is the ploughing or deep grubbing of land for roots during November and December, which not only disperses valuable soil moisture, but also causes the land to dry out quickly into lumps, which are difficut to break down, thereby preventing adequate consolidation of the seed bed. It is therefore necessary to consider the season of the year as well as the particular implement to’ be used. If the work can be done only’ with that particular implement, then steps should be taken to avoid what may be harmful after-effects. In the case of summer ploughing or grubbing, harrowing should follow immediately and not in a day or two’s time. This untimely use of implements, however, can be avoided if thought and planning are used in the farm programme. While under-cultivation is more commonly the cause of poor results, over-cultivation often gives uneconomic returns which are difficult to explain. This most frequently occurs where an area is being cleaned for twitch, creeping fog, or some other weed, the result being that in the effort to clean the soil it is worked to the fineness of cement in dry weather, and seed sown under such conditions cannot give good returns. The time factor in cultivation is the most important feature, and the agriculturist must exploit it to the best advantage. Use of Fallow Too little use is made nowadays of the fallow as a preparation for the crop, but in Canterbury, at any rate, it is almost impossible to establish grass, successfully without using this method. Fallowing does not mean ploughing over and then forgetting about it. It means the frequent moving about of the soil throughout the period of rest. The length of fallow depends on the previous crops and the weed-content 'of ’ the land itself. It is not contended that every crop should follow a fallow, but it is suggested that the . rotation should be so ordered as to allow the maximum time to elapse between each crop to enable the following crop to benefit to the full from the cultivation given to the land throughout the period.

llt is obvious, therefore, that following an autumn-harvested crop by an immediate autumn or winter-sown crop is not recommended. In many cases this would mean a reorganisation of the rotation if it is to be avoided. Too frequently, under the cloak of efficiency, is stubble land rushed back immediately the crop is off into grass, green feed, Italian ryegrass, or some other crop with poor results, which further jeopardises what often is already a precarious feed supply. There is also the other extreme of allowing stubble land to lie uncultivated through late autumn and winter as it will not be required for sowing until the spring. , “Dry” Farming Arable farming is confined to districts which have a suitable contour,

average soil, and a moderate rainfall, the last of which is essential if crops are to be ripened and harvested in good condition. Unfortunately, moderate rainfall areas also are subject to periods of drought, and in such areas the lighter the soil the greater the effect of dry conditions. It should therefore be the aim in preparatory cultivation to strive to preserve as much moisture as possible so that the crop will not depend absolutely on rainfall received during its growing period. Carried to the extreme, this- practice is commonly known as “dry farming.” While there is no need to practise “dry farming” methods on New Zealand’s arable land, there is definitely the necessity to conserve soil moisture so that quick germination results and

so that there remains a sufficient supply of moisture to enable the plant to establish and live over what is considered to be an average period of dry conditions. Further, if this aspect is attended to in cultivation, the other soil conditions previously mentioned that is, soil air, useful bacterial and plant foodalso become fulfilled. There is no doubt that it is the moisture factor which prevents good establishment of any autumn-sown crop when it follows a stubble crop, as the previous crop has already exhausted this essential. Conserving Moisture x In the main, therefore, cultivation should aim at conserving soil moisture. It can, however, also dissipate mois-

ture. This is done by deep cultivation of the soil in dry conditions, and most often occurs in the preparation • of turnip and swede land where the work has not been started early enough and the main object is a quick seed bed. As far as the scope of this article is concerned, moisture is taken from the soil in two ways, firstly by transpiration through the leaves of plants. If this takes place through the _ leaves of the crop planted and not through those of competitorsnamely, weeds — the object is achieved, as in this way the plants derive their food and grow. The second is by evaporation from the soil itself, and it is over this loss that cultivation has the greatest control. It is well known that compact firm land dries out quickly. If, therefore, pasture or stubble land , is left through the winter before any cultivation is done when the intention is to sow a spring crop, the natural process of cultivation to produce the seed bed will tend to deplete what is already a precarious moisture supply. If, however, the preparatory cultivation for the same crop were done during the previous autumn and the land allowed to lie in the furrow up to the weather with the previously topworked soil underneath, the result would have been the storing of moisture instead of its dissipation. Time the Essence Of the Contract ■ Time, therefore, is the essence of the contract. Cultivation must begin early, and while the effects of poor, cultivation are not so evident in the usual . autumn- and winter-sown cereals, as they undoubtedly benefit from winter rain falling on loosed ground, they are evident in the all too 1 plentiful failures of spring wheat and oats and other spring, summer, and autumn-sown seeds. The preparation of the ground must take place early, the earlier the better. This, unfortunately, is easier said than done, but a few comparatively simple changes in • his programme would enable the farmer to obtain the maximum period of cultivation between crops. Some suggestions are that rape, turnips, swedes, and chou moellier should follow -a stubble crop, and that

autumn-sown grass should follow the former. - These are, however, only effective when cultivation follows • immediately the crop is off the ground. P re-cultivation There is no doubt that best results from pre-cultivation are obtained from topwork before deep ploughing. The straight-out ploughing of grass land 5 or 6 in. deep on soils of good depth, especially with the long mouldboard type of plough, is a hopeless proposition if soil moisture is to be conserved,- the turf rotted, and a seed bed obtained. Under such conditions there is an insufficient depth of soil to secure an adequate seed bed without bringing to the surface masses of turf and endeavouring to work them down. Further, the air spaces created in the folds of the furrow prevent the turf from decaying quickly. This results in the first crop always being

considered more or less a failure (which it generally is) even before it is put in. The method by which this topwork is carried out is often debatedone farmer prefers the hustler, another sticks to the old and commendable practice of skimming. If horses are the only source of power, then skimming must be done, as sore shoulders are the only result of working a stifftyned cultivator in grass land. If, however, a tractor is used, the question of skimming versus the hustler is more often determined by the land to be ploughed. Stubble land is best top-worked by the hustler. Where the pasture is run out to hair grass and catsear and is clean, skimming is probably the best. Heavy turf consisting of pasture or old browntop is best done with the hustler, but full use must be made of the various widths of points which can be obtained for such implements. The land should be given one or two strokes with the narrow points and then followed by the wider ones. If

wide points are used first, the turf tends to roll off in large pieces, and it is impossible to break them down. If the land has been skimmed, further cultivation is necessary, and where the turf is heavy it may be necessary to cross-plough before cultivation. Depth to Plough When top-cultivation is carried out there is always the question of when and at what depth to deep plough. After the consideration of the type of soil, which, of course, determines the limit and the depth of ploughing, the other two points are crop and time. Some crops do quite well in raw soil, two of which are wheat and oats, and where these are to be sown, ploughing is often left to within a week or so of sowing. For the smaller springsown seeds, ploughing should be done as early as possible in order that the ultimate seed bed, that is, what will ultimately become the topsoil, may have time to weather. Early winter ploughing and lying in the furrow is,

therefore, the ideal, the depth being determined by the earliness. Where the land cannot be deep ploughed through wet conditions or other causes, aarly shallower ploughing must be done, as there is less weathering time left. The ploughing should, however, always be sufficient to bury the. turf to such a depth that it will not again be brought to the surface by the subsequent work. This timely and sufficient cultivation is the foundation of the crop. There is nothing new in it. Every man on the land today realises that the only way to get a crop of anything is to carry out cultivation early, thoroughly decay turf or the remains of the previous crop for plant food, and, above all, conserve . moisture. Yet, how few do it! How much of the 400,000 acres of rape, swedes, and turnips to be planted for the next season’s use is now in the furrow? And that is where it should be at this stage if failures are to be avoided.