Club of bologna proceedings

strategy to minimise inputs 
To reduce cultivation inputs, attention to 
de
tail is 
crucial, and significant cost saving without yield 
depression is the target. Because of the additional 
risks involved co
m
pared with our traditional
techniques, we need to aim high in our cost
cutting exercise if we are to succeed. In some 
cases this may not be possible, and the
alternative is to save costs on our existing
technique without 
i
ntroducing significant risk.
Remember though, there is an interacti
o
n 
between depth of cultivation and compaction
control. Where traditionally tillage has been deep 
to enhance water interception and root
exploration, maintaining structure through
compaction control can bring about the same
thing. Thus, for example, plough
i
ng at 300 mm 
depth could be reduced to 200 mm or less and 
significant energy savings achieved. 
One of the most demanding situations for a
reduced tillage system is establishing a cereal
crop on a moist clay soil with 10 t/ha of wheat 
residue, some of it p resent as long straw laid on 
the surface. The first thing to consider is whether 
the harvesting operation was well enough
planned. Were wheel ruts minimised, was the 
straw and chaff chopped and spread over the 
whole area and were lifters used effectively 
o
n 
the header? (
Fig. 3
) It is only by considering the 
whole system that significant improvements can 
be achieved. If these points have been
addressed, achieving an effective tillage oper
a
tion 
is considerably easier. The principal aim with this 
will be crop establishment and weed control. It is 
here that the agricultural machinery industry
needs to have a very ta
r
geted approach to its 
products. The seedbed needs to be level,
consistent in density and strength and with an
appropriate aggregate size range for
t
he crop 
being grown (and in some cases the weed being 
encouraged to germinate!). Inappropriately
positioned wheels are the main enemy in many 
cases, and seedbed quality can often be
compromised as a result.
Dealing with crop residue, as mentioned above,
involves an integrated approach, not least of
which will involve the planting or sowing machine. 
This has to be capable of placing seeds in soil 
devoid of fresh organic material. Presently, there 
are very few drills that are capable of doing this 
reliably in a range of conditions, but there is a 
considerable need, both where tillage has been 
carried out and where no tillage is the preferred 
option. Introducing zero tillage on non
-
trafficked 
soil eliminates many of the pro
b
lems associated 
with this technique, and indeed, extends the soils 
upon which this sy
s
tem can be used effectively 

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73
[11]. Managed in the right way zero tillage can 
be an environmentally friendly low cost system.
The need for inter
-
row weeding following or
during crop establishment is likely
t
o increase. 
This will be in response to pollution control, as 
well as an increasing demand for organically
grown foods. Both mechanical and heat
treatment of weeds are likely, both of which,
within conventional crop produ ction systems, are 
likely to be in
t
egrated with lower chemical
dosage. To use these systems effectively,
precision implement location coupled with
sophisticated control systems are likely to be
needed. 
I see no one new innovation which will give all 
the answers. It is a case of attending t
o
detail and 
critically appraising every comp
o
nent within a
machine or system to dete
r
mine its effectiveness 
in a range of con
di
tions. New designs based on
a 
good appr eciation of soil dynamics will be
required, and those of you who study the
fundamentals, 
a
re likely to reap the rewards.
Similarly, if it works well in one condition, but 
poorly in another, can the cost and time to
change components be reduced sufficiently to
make two options on one machine and farm
economic? This will require low manufacturi
n
g 
costs and the elimination of waste in the
production process.