Strip-till systems can benefit corn

Justin Davey

Tillage practices are varied for farms today, depending on the farmer's vision for the land, but strip-till systems can benefit corn by combining many of the best aspects of no-till and conventional tillage systems, according to a report from DuPont Pioneer. The advantages of strip-till are generally most pronounced for corn following corn, where strip-till can help improve seedbed uniformity and reduce plant-to-plant variability compared to no-till.

"Strip tillage encourages more favorable soil temperature, moisture and aeration conditions for germinating seeds and seedling plants," says Pioneer's Jerry Harrington. "This can translate to improved crop establishment and early season performance. Strip-till also offers the opportunity to place fertilizers directly into the root zone, away from crop residues that could otherwise intercept or immobilize nutrients," he says.

The report continues to assert that strip-till provides benefits over conventional tillage practices in the areas of conservation and efficiency. "By leaving the interrow untilled, crop residues are retained on the soil surface providing increased erosion resistance and organic inputs," it says. Strip-till can also reduce field passes and input costs compared to conventional tillage.

Tips for successful strip-till

It's important to consider field selection, tillage timing, and strip placement when implementing strip till into your operation. According to the report, "Guidance systems and strip-till units with parallel linkage help ensure accurate seed placement and consistent depth control. It may take a season or two to become skilled at staying on the strips—so give it time and stick with it.

Source: http://www.agriculture.com

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Sun-flower, corn and soyabean modern varieties for Farmer

July 03, 2013

Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Alhaj Sikandar Hayat Bosan has said that Pakistan is self-sufficient in food, cotton, sugar, however we have to spend precious foreign exchange of billions of rupees on the import of edible oil. We should evolve modern varieties of edible seeds of sun-flower, corn, soyabean, Jojoba, rapeseed, Cassamba etc to save Rs 200 billion.
Bosan said that research-based technical knowledge related to agriculture and agricultural technologies must reach to the farmers at their doorstep and it should not be kept in shelves to meet the challenges of food autarky. Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday he said that mostly technical and scientific knowledge remained in shelves that should be reached at farmers doors step to help increase their crop production and thus improve their livelihoods. Bosan said that researchers/scientists should identify sustainable agricultural technologies and effectively translating for transfer to end-users. He stressed the need for developing a mechanism for accessible information for extension workers and farmers. Collective efforts and wisdom needed to achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture sector and to ensure food security in the country.
Federal Minister appreciated the role of international agencies, especially FAO, USDA, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICIMOD and other donors for holding such events in Pakistan to share technical and scientific knowledge and experience by experts and financial support for development of agriculture sector in the country. He urged upon the progressive farmers, researchers and agricultural scientists to reduce the knowledge gap between researchers and enhancing the capacity of the extension workers; during the process, it will identify the most compelling findings from researchers' work, prepare a package, and then present and disseminate these findings in the form that would be accessible and understandable to farmers.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

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Promoting environmental-friendly agriculture practices

July 03, 2013

Speakers at an international seminar called for promoting latest environmental-friendly agriculture practices like Precision Agriculture (PA) to increase agricultural productivity and to reduce the cost of agricultural production in a bid to ensure food security.
The international seminar titled Technology, Energy and Natural Resources was arranged by Department of Environmental Sciences, GC University Faisalabad that was presided over by Acting Vice Chancellor and Dean Faculty of Science and Technology Professor Dr Naureen Aziz Qureshi. The other speakers include Dr Qamar Zaman and Dr Tri Ngyuen Quang from Dalhousie University Canada, and Department Chairman Dr Farhat Abbas. Dr Schumann from University of Florida also addressed on video conference recorded talk.
Addressing on the occasion, Professor Dr Naureen Aziz said it was prerequisite to make efficient use of natural resources keeping in view the modern trend at par with the international standards by adopting latest techniques. She said glaciers were melting drastically due to climate changes and after 50 years, the country would be left with the few glaciers if the dilemma continued. "Keeping in view, we have to shift to drip irrigation from flood irrigation to save the water for the coming generation," she added. She said level of water use efficiency in Pakistan was only 40 percent while per capita water availability was only 1,000 cubic meter.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

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