Even with a proven track record in Alberta's annual crop land, retaining high levels of well-managed straw and chaff (trash) in the field by direct seeding methods, rather than a tillage-based cropping system, still remains a controversial idea. Particularly when a cold spring like 2009 occurs, but most certainly when seedbeds are exceptionally dry, frustration arises when crop emergence is further hampered by a lack of daytime warming accompanied by cool nights and frequent frosts. This leads to a lot of talk about weather and reverting back to old tillage habits.
RTL Agronomist Ron Heller feels its just a bunch of "trash talk", and comments on what he thinks are ways to reinforce, reform and even change our no-till thinking about the advantages of direct seeding.
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