Crop growth
The performance of a crop is most evident during the growing season as plants continue to grow, produce grain and mature with the ultimate results being provided at harvest.
It is the precision of the seeding and planting equipment that leads to superior crop performance the rest of the year and this is evident in several key areas of plant development.
“A challenging season requires strong and healthy plants
Getting the crop off to the races
It is given that the weather during the season has the ultimate say in how quickly a crop is able to grow and complete its life cycle. However, performance of seeding and planting equipment in terms of placement of seed and fertilizer also determines how quickly a plant is able to access the nutrients and moisture it needs to germinate, grow and develop. Quick, safe access of these essentials allow for rapid plant growth and this results in several benefits to the crop overall.
Insect problems can be an issue in all crops, While various control methods for these pests exist in the form of pesticides, a key component of reducing the damage these insects can have is quick germination and maturity of the crop. Insect damage occurs at certain growth stages early in the plant’s life cycle and the quicker the plant grow past this vulnerable stage, the less insect damage that will occur.
A weed is defined as a plant out of place and, like other plants, it requires nutrients and moisture to grow. Accordingly, if weeds are growing alongside crop plants they will compete with those plants for these resources. Many weeds feature extensive root systems that reach far into the soil to absorb valuable nutrients and moisture which in some years may be in scarce supply. Some crops are less competitive against weeds due to their physiology and heavy weed pressure results in greatly reduced yield. Additionally, weed leaf canopy can interfere with crop leaves for sunlight which also plays a role in yield reduction. It is therefore important for the crop to germinate and grow as quickly as possible in order to establish the crop’s root system which allows it to compete much more effectively against weeds so they do not remain a problem during the rest of the growing season.
All crops, as part of their life cycle, produce flowers that result in the grain that is harvested at the end of the year. In some crops such as oilseed rape and wheat, the period of flowering is sensitive to external temperature conditions. If the temperature is too warm while the crop is in this stage, flowers can be aborted and yield loss can occur. A crop that is able to mature and complete the flowering stage before hot weather typically occurs will avoid this issue and preserve yield potential.
In some areas, cold weather is inevitable at the end of the growing season and, in some years, it may show up sooner than expected. When a crop is still maturing when frost occurs, this can lead to a substantial reduction in both crop yield and quality. Therefore, at the beginning of the season, a crop that establishes, matures and finishes its growth cycle as quickly as possible provides much greater risk management in terms of avoiding the damage caused by an early frost.
Evenness across the field
As a crop emerges and matures throughout the course of the season, it is imperative that the crop grows as evenly as possible regardless of terrain, soil structure, and presence of previous crop residue. Both yield and grain quality are impacted by an uneven crop population, which reduces the overall return on investment to the farmer.
In crops that produce a thick plant stand such as maize and oilseed rape, the evenness of plant spacing in the row and the consistency of seeding depth are key in producing the maximum yield possible. Maize plants that fail to emerge within a day of each other, as a result of differences in planting depth, result in uneven maturity which leads to a reduction in cob size and subsequent overall yield due to inter-row plant competition. This competition also occurs if seeds are placed at an uneven distance apart in the row as plants placed too close together compete for the same resources and produce little to no yield. Gaps that exist in the plant stand also reduce yield from having less plants to take advantage of moisture, nutrients and sunlight. While oilseed rape is a much different plant compared to maize, the substantial root system and aggressive branching of the plant requires depth and plant spacing precision to produce the best crop possible.
When it comes to herbicide application, it is a requirement that the crop is in the proper staging before it can be sprayed. Plants that are either below or above the required staging, caused by uneven crop maturity, can suffer herbicide damage which leads to yield loss. An evenly maturing crop reduces this risk and, combined with quick maturity, allows for a more effective herbicide application by spraying weeds at the earliest stage possible. In certain cropping systems this may also reduce the need for a second herbicide application which reduces the environmental impact and promotes greater sustainability.
During the crop season, it may be necessary to apply fungicide to the crop if the situation requires in order to prevent disease that reduces both crop yield and quality. Many fungicide applications require the crop to be in the correct stage which often occurs within a short timeframe. It is therefore imperative that the crop is as evenly maturing as possible to allow for the most effective fungicide application possible and greater return on investment.
Mechanical weed control
Inter-row cultivation gives the farmer one more tool to manage weed control. In situations with weed resistance, lack of active substances, regulations and in the aim of reducing herbicides, inter-row cultivation is a good alternative.
The main purpose of inter-row cultivation is clearly to cut the roots off weed plants, but inter-row cultivation also has other agronomical benefits such as breaking the soil crust and stopping evaporation. For a successful mechanical weed management with an inter-row cultivator, evenness of the crop stand is crucial.