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A report from the AgTech Centre

Disc openers can improve conservation farming efforts

Farmers looking to increase productivity can turn to a piece of seeding equipment that has been somewhat out of style for nearly two decades.

The disc opener, which fell out of favour with the introduction of a wide range of hoe-type openers, may still be a good fit with conservation-minded producers, says Lawrence Papworth, a project engineer with the AgTech Centre in Lethbridge. Newer designs, with a single disc mounted on an angle, are large and heavy enough to allow direct seeding into untilled soil, which makes them an attractive option for farmers.

"The biggest advantage of disc openers is the ability to seed directly into untilled ground," says Papworth. "This creates less soil disturbance, which means the soil will retain more moisture, and in turn, provide higher yields."

Another advantage of the disc opener is the ability to place seed at a range of depths, he says. This is ideal for small-seeded crops such as canola and forages, which should be seeded shallow. However, one disadvantage to the disc openers is they do not handle residue well. This can lead to a hair pinning problem in areas with moist soil conditions.

"If the residue is on the tough side, the disc opener won't cut through to the soil and the seed may not make proper contact with the soil," says Papworth. "To solve this problem, you have to add a residue manager. That's a device that clears residue from in front of the opener."

Disc openers can be found with range of design options. Papworth says some are single-disc, single shoot systems that only place seed, while others have a double shoot system and two discs to place seed and fertilizer. He also notes that many models come with on-row packers that trail behind the disc opener to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.

"These disc systems are usually designed so you have better control of seeding depth," says Papworth. "They are a bit more work to set because you have to change each disc individually, but overall the system gives farmers more options."

What may stand in the way of farmers switching back to disc openers is the cost. Papworth says more moving parts make them quite expensive. As well, there is more maintenance involved in keeping them operational, and this also increases labour costs. Still, despite the drawbacks, Papworth is confident disc openers will become a common sight in the field.

"We believe that if we work with them now and do the research, farmers will be more likely to adopt them for their operations," he says.

Papworth says some farmers are concerned with the amount of power required to pull a drill equipped with disc openers. Testing is still underway, but Papworth says the difference in draft between disc opener and hoe opener seeding systems is really dependent on the soil conditions. For example, in dry conditions, extra weight is needed to keep the disc opener firmly on the ground, he says. The added weight increases the power required to pull the equipment.

"Producers who switch to disc openers will find that despite the extra costs, they can make their money back by producing higher yields," says Papworth. "The percentage of farmers using disc openers will increase over time as more operators see the benefits of using them."

Papworth and his colleagues will continue to test disc openers in a row spacing project that compares them to hoe openers and other seed distribution methods. They'll also test new disc opener designs as they come on to the market. AgTech Centre is part of the Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Agricultural Engineering Branch. Its mandate is to support all aspects of agricultural sustainability.

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