Moore Tandem Uni-Drill DP400A, Instructions Manual

Page: 39 / 66

Practical Recommendations
1. Plough up stubble early to restrict slug feeding sources.
2. Work surface soil rather finely and press to upset and make slugs uncomfortable.
3. Keep soil clean by mechanical and chemical destruction and sow early.
4. Detect the presence of slugs upon the first rainfall and set traps.
5. Sow a little deeper and under fast-emergence conditions.
6. Properly close up the sowing furrow, possibly roll. In a risk situation, treat with an
appropriate agent.
7.
Carefully monitor growth after sowing, especially under humid conditions.
HOW TO FIGHT WEED
1. Setup conservation tillage only in clean plots
In particular, perennial weeds should be controlled during the preceding crop.
2. Plan fighting weed within the cropping cycle.
Alternate cereals with dicotyledon plants (peas, rape, beet…) as well as winter and spring crops. Take
advantage of dicotyledon crops to take effective action against graminaceous weed, and of cereal crops to destroy
dicotyledons.
3. Perform blank sowing between crops to get rid of annual weeds and regrowth.
Upon combine passage, prepare a bed of homogenous seed with fine, superficial and pressed dirt to obtain an
even and as comprehensive emergence of weed seeds as possible. A week before sowing, destroy the
emerged plants mechanically or with a total non-remanent weed killer
4. Do not sow too early to optimize blank seed effectiveness.
The longer the catch-crop, the more effective the weed killing. Sow the foulest plots last. Trust the swiftness of
UNIDRILL action and the quality of its emergences and sow on schedule without any risks.
5. Setup a clean and strong crop upon sowing
Use clean, weed-free seed with high germination potential. Lay the seed to obtain fast and grouped emergence,
competing with weed.
6. Use a seed drill that moves little soil, like UNIDRILL
UNIDRILL only works the seed row, thus reducing the risk of blank-seed-escaped seed emerging. Wide intervals
between rows are preferable, like those of the UNIDRILL (16.6cm). Only use the seed drill near harrow when
necessary.
7. Closely monitor flora evolution during growth
With conservation tillage, usual weeds no longer occur in the same amounts and on the same dates;
furthermore, other species may occur. Be prepared for that evolution by updating your botanical knowledge. Do
a weekly tour of growing crops, progress through plots along large W-shaped patterns, identify plants and their
growing stage, take notes and keep a record for each plot.
8. Vary the weed-killer chemical family from one year to another.
9. Trim borders, fallows and crops before seeding.
Mow, shred embankments, borders, ditches, fallows rather than applying total weed-killers; this could lead to
perennial weed selection and make them hard to eliminate. Some prefer growing Ray-grass on borders; it
smothers weeds and is easily controlled with a mower. In crops, destroy residual weed patches by tropical
treatment with a regular spraying equipment or manual atomizer.
10. Avoid disseminating weed seed at harvest.
Start with cropping the cleanest plots. In weed-infested plots, crop the cleanest parts first.
Clean the combine after each passage in a fouled plot.
39