Enabling no-till corn and soybean production in high-residue environments via improved planter components

Adoption of cover crops and reduced/no tillage is limited due to farmer observations of yield decline impacting farm income and profitability. One main obstacle is the issue of planting in soils laden with surface crop residue, which forms a kind of mat that impedes planting operations, thereby delaying emergence, reducing plant stand, and ultimately lowering yield. Currently tillage is the normal option chosen to deal with surface residue.
Modifying planter components can improve yields in high-residue fields. Susterre’s Ultra-High Pressure (UHP) water jet system was found to not only prevent yield reduction in no-till high-residue situations but also boost yields by 6-12%. By validating this technology’s effectiveness in Ontario, we could revitalize the adoption no-till and cover cropping in Ontario.
General methods: Field trials at UofG’s Ridgetown and Winchester stations (corn and soybean) will compare UHP to traditional planters in varying surface residue conditions, supplemented by a farmer-focused UHP demo day.
Deliverables: Completed field trials dataset for product validation in Ontario, M.Sc thesis chapter, one farmer-focused extension presentation on UHP

Faculty Supervisor:

Joshua Nasielski

Student:

Partner:

Susterre Technologies Inc.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Guelph

Program: