SKY Agriculture Easy Drill 3000, Original Instructions Manual, Page: 88 / 115

b)
Settings Charts
EN
Practical recommendations
A
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PREVENTING SOIL compaction
1
Whenever possible, use low-pressure tyres on all
machines operated in fi elds in order to reduce
superfi cial compaction.
Mounting wide tyres or twin wheels is not enough; the
tyre pressure must be adjusted accordingly.
Aim for 0.6 bar, according to the tyre manufacturer’s
recommendations. As the Easydrill is a towed seed
drill, it exerts no weight on the rear tractor wheels and
does not require counterweights to be mounted at the
front!
2
Reduce the load per axle to avoid in-depth soil
compaction.
Avoid loads over 6 tons per axle: if heavier trailers
must be used, park them at the fi eld entrance. Prefer
lightweight tractors: as the Easydrill requires little
traction power, moderately powerful - and therefore
lightweight - tractors are suffi
cient.
3
Till on dried-out ground.
Be patient, and wait for the right time of year before
starting tilling. According to scientists, as soon as
drying soil changes colour, it acquires greater resis-
tance to compaction. After 4 to 5 years of conser-
vation tillage, the ground drains water faster and
becomes more resilient, which reduces the necessary
waiting time.
4
Provide calcium and magnesium to compensate
for the ground’s acidity where necessary.
Aim to maintain a pH of 6.5 - 7 to ensure optimal
stability of the clay-humus compound.
5
Enrich the soil with organic matter to preserve it
from compaction and to increase its resilience.
Leave straw and crop residues on the ground, spread
manure, grow fodder plants, and avoid ploughing.
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Burying the straw
1
Select a suitable variety.
According to the selected variety, the quantity of pro-
duced straw can vary, as well as its shock resistance. A
variety that is resistant to disease and which it is not
essential to treat with a fungicide at the end of the
season will also be more easily decomposed by the
fauna in the soil.
2
Prepare and adjust settings on the combine
harvester
Tighten the thresher and increase the rotation speed
to break straw better. Dry straw breaks more easily:
under these conditions, harvest the fi elds that you
wish to sow fi rst. The combine harvester must be
equipped with a chaff spreader. Shred the straw into
chaff of 5-6 cm (sharpen the shredder blades, tighten
all belts) and spread it evenly.
3
Shred the chaff and stubble behind the combine
harvester.
In particular, if the catch-crop period is short, the
cutting level is high, the chaff is poorly spread out and
you wish to till the soil with tools fi tted with tines.
4
Thoroughly mix the straw on the ground and roll.
Do not bury the straw deeper than 5 to 6 centimetres
below the surface in order to facilitate decomposition
and avoid mixing trash in. Rolling with a heavy roller
improves the contact between soil and straw and
facilitates decomposition by the fauna in the soil.
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Protecting crops against slugs
1
Disc early to deprive slugs of food.
2
Till the surface to make the soil fairly fi ne, and roll
to disturb slugs.
3
A long time before sowing, keep the soil clean by
means of mechanical and chemical destruction.
4
Watch for the arrival of slugs with the fi rst rains
and set up traps if necessary.
5
To ensure quick emergence, sow a little deeper,
and in favourable conditions.
6
Close the seed furrow well, and possibly roll after
sowing. In a situation where the risk of damage
from slugs is high, treat with the appropriate
product.
7
Watch over the crop well after sowing, especially
in damp weather and soil conditions.
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