a) Secondary tillage: Reduce clod size by secondary tillage. But beware of
overdoing this if the soil is very dry as this could destroy soil structure and result
in crusting later. Also develop guidelines for when to cultivate in relation to
moisture content.
b) Minimize crusting: Minimize crusting by reducing the number of secondary
cultivations that might be pulverizing the soil, and leave some crop residues in
the surface soil layers. If sprinklers are available, sprinkle-irrigate prior to
seedling emergence to soften the crust.
c) Residues: If reduced tillage practices follow high-yielding rice, maize or soybean
crops, remove excess residues so seeds can be sown accurately at uniform
depth. Alternatively, use equipment that can sow accurately into heavy crop
residues.
d) Timing: Time cultivations so they are not too long before planting. Aim to give
the crop seedlings an advantage over germinating weeds and weed regrowth.
e) Reduced tillage: Use minimal or zero tillage so that all operations can be done
at the optimum time and completed quickly. This can avoid overworking the soil
and consequent loss of soil structure, avoid clods, and avoid wasting water
because a minor proportion of bare soil is exposed to the drying air.
NatalieR answered the question on May 23, 2022 at 06:00