Are we using the field research facilities optimally?

The units of measurement alen, foot and inch have been replaced by metres and GPS coordinates in our long-term field trials. As we put old-fashioned items to pasture, drones, sensors and robots take over in the research plots. However, there is still good cause to reflect on and discuss the research activities so that we can maintain the good facilities that are of such great interest.  

I believe that we have a good handle on the data, plant and soil archives but that we need to describe how we manage the long-term field trials optimally. I suggest that we sometime during the winter months have a theme meeting where the technical and scientific staff can discuss all the work operations and subsequently describe them. 

Optimal ploughing and harrowing

Soil transfer between plots can have great impact on the quality of the trials in the long term. Every time a plough or a harrow is dragged through a plot, there is a risk of transporting soil in the direction that the machine is moving. We must find out if we should continue to use a reversible plough where each run moves the soil in each its direction.   

Personally, I believe that we should plough in one direction and thus lay the soil uniformly by both length and width. In many trials, carbon turnover is also an investigated factor. In such cases, a constant plough depth is a crucial factor for a good research result. 

We should also discuss the use of machinery for establishing catch crops. On sandy soils, we have used a regular tooth harrow but I think we should use a disc harrow just as we do on clay soils. Using a runner planter also increases the possibility of transferring soil between plots. In these cases, we should consider using a drill with disc coulters. 

Plant protection and nutrient application

In plots where the research treatments are not optimal for crop growth, making the crops less competitive against weeds, efficient weed treatment is crucial so that weed problems do not become a disturbing factor in the study. We should therefore spray the maximum allowed dosage in all treatments and choose broad-spectrum herbicides. 

Likewise, it would be a good idea to switch products at regular intervals in order to avoid resistance. We should also control fungal diseases and pests effectively. A good idea is to follow the information about fungal diseases and pests on Seges’ websites regarding plant protection and take action according to their recommendations.   

Deficiency of micronutrients such as manganese and sulphur must not occur as a limiting factor for plant growth. Therefore, manganese should be applied systematically 2-3 times during the growth period. 

Correct tyre pressure

Last year we held a good theme day in MARK. The topic was tyre pressure. The day provided us with lots of food for thought and a new custom for what we do prior to driving out into the research field plots. In the autumn of 2017, we drove on dual wheels and with a tyre pressure of 0.5 bars in all our soil tillage. 

This takes more time because we cannot drive with reduced tyre pressure on public roads at high speed. When we arrive at the field, we reduce the tyre pressure from 1.3 bars to 0.5 bars and do the reverse when we leave the field. This means that we always have to have a compressor with us. With the wet autumn that we have had we have had no regrets about spending time on this. 

If anyone would like to contribute knowledge to a description of how we manage the long-term field trials as well as possible, then we in MARK would like to hear from you.