Drilling Masterclass: How to drill treated seeds effectively

Drill Choice

All drills have pros and cons. Disc drills cause less disturbance than tine but do less to restructure soil if compaction is an issue. Adjust cultivator drills give lower levels of surface disturbance.

Tyre Pressure

Keep tyre pressures below 0.8 bar to help prevent significant compaction caused by the drill tractor. This is particularly important with low disturbance drills on wetter, and/or looser ground.

Forward Speed

Don't go too quickly. Faster speeds lead to more sideways movement of soil with disc or tine which can prompt more weed germination.

Seed Rates Up seed rates by 30-50% to deal with grass-weeds, and/or consider variable seed rates on specific fields, or areas within fields.

Seed Treatments Give more flexibility to drilling dates by protecting your crop from pests and seed-borne diseases.

Seedbed Quality

Aim for a fine consolidated seedbed. Make sure stale seedbeds are prepared with higher disturbance than the final drill pass.

Cover Seed

Seed needs to be covered with a good fine tilth, ideally rolled for better consolidation which will improve emergence, pre-em, performance and slug control.

Residues

Watch out for long, immature straw, especially on softer soils that don't have the resistance for disc drills to cut against. Residues can provide a hiding place for slugs, straw can also get pushed into slots and drill channels, inhibiting seed to soil contact.

✔️ Wear appropriate personal equipment (PPE) including gloves and coverall

✔️ Always read the seed tag

✖️ Don't broadcast or autocast any treated seed

✔️ Handle bags of seeds with care – abrasion results in dust; damage many result in spilt seed

✔️ Check that the drill has been properly maintained, calibrated and cultivators set up properly

✔️ Critically assess the prepared seedbed; does it have stony, cloddy or trashy areas which might limit the coverage of the seed?

✖️ Don't tip the dust into the drill – leave it in the seed bag

✔️ Keep bags secure, and dispose of waste seed bags and their contents safely

✔️ Clean up spills immediately – do not fill drills on grassy areas as spills will be harder to clear up

✔️ Ensure the drill will not drop seed when transported or when lifting in and out of work at headlands

✔️ Ensure the drill (especially if precision vacuum drill) does not vent into the air – if necessary fit an air deflector system

✔️ After you've finished drilling, check fields carefully – particularly headlands and turning areas to ensure seed is well covered. If any seed is exposed, cover it

Direct drill

Making sure the seed has good seed-to-soil contact is essential with direct drills as there is little or no seedbed preparation. Forward speeds are also important as pulling a drill through can create fissures and cracking in the soil. 

Cultivator drill

Cultivator drills are a straightforward way to produce a seedbed and establish a crop but the level of disturbance can be dangerous for black-grass control. But many cultivator drills are adjustable, discs and tines can be removed or lifted up to leave a lower disturbance option.

Disc drills

Disc drills are a good option for low disturbance drilling but they do have drawbacks with residues and wet soils. On wet ground, discs can smear soil and pin straw into the seedbed reducing seed to soil contact.

Strip tillage

Level of disturbance depend on forward speed, moving a tine through soil too quickly leads to lots of fissures and cracking which stimulates black-grass. Keeping speed down and adding a cutting disc ahead of the tine are good options for black-grass management.

Contact one of our technical team for more information or advice on getting the best start for your cereals crop this autumn

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