Autumn 2023 EN

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ENGLISH ISSUE BIOGAS JOURNAL | AUTUMN_2023 No-till farming of maize into the dead winter cover crop using a John Deere machine that has been modified to meet Hanspeter Lauper’s needs. You can clearly see how the planting rows have been cleared. No-till farming of maize: Three-leaf stage of corn in dead winter catch crop, which remains on the soil surface as mulch material. field of Conservation Agriculture. He has set up an international network and brought a wealth of knowledge to Switzerland from North America and other Englishspeaking countries. As a technology enthusiast, Lauper acquired such a machine, and Sturny became his mentor. Lauper started with a tine coulter direct-seed drill and worked with it for about three years. It turned out that “the tines gather all the harvest material together when it’s slightly damp in narrow row spacing.” Lauper then bought a John Deere 750A and he still has a seed drill like this today. It has disc harrows that cut both through the mulch layer and soil surface, depositing the seeds at the bottom of the seed slot. While the 750A has a slightly inclined disc per row, his precision drill is equipped with v-shaped double discs. A special type of direct seeding coulter is the so-called “cross-slot coulter” (Cross-Slot). It places the seeds or fertilizers laterally beside the seed slot. The Cross-Slot configuration is primarily used by the French manufacturer Novag: It combines two seed boots – one on each side – with a central cutting disc. Instead of a “V” or “U” shape, Novag machines cut an inverted “T” into the soil, enabling separate placement of seeds and fertilizers. Service Provider for No-Till Farming This year, Landag AG sowed approximately 1,100 hectares using precision seeding and drill seeding, reveals Lauper. “We cover all aspects of seeding but do not engage in soil cultivation.” He stands for no-till farming, but upon customer request, also does mulch seeding or seeding for strip-till using the same machines. In addition, Landag AG has combines for grain and maize harvest. They also provide soil sampling as a service, crop consulting, and field trials. Lauper’s son, Raphael, is now fully involved in the company as well. Landag relies on digital technology from as early as the planning stage. Customers can record their fields digitally and upload the geo-field data on the Landag website, or Lauper measures the plots before seeding using a quad bike equipped with GPS. Hanspeter or Raphael Lauper then specify the lanes and enter them in the order management system, from where the data is transferred to the cloud through an interface. From the seeding tractor or combine harvester, the driving PHOTOGRAPHS: LANDAG AG, CHRISTIAN DANY 8
BIOGAS JOURNAL | AUTUMN_2023 ENGLISH ISSUE No-till farming of maize into dead catch crop. The orange-colored corn kernel is clearly discernible. In addition to plant roots, earthworms contribute to producing a crumbly, loose soil. lane and field data can be accessed in real-time. The machine automatically steers from the beginning, allowing the driver to focus on the implement. Furthermore, Lauper stresses the importance of reducing weight to minimize soil compaction. He equipped his new 20-row grain drill, the frame for the three-point attachment of which he designed and constructed himself, with seed units featuring automatic downforce control by Precision Planting, a provider of digital agricultural systems from the USA. In the hydraulic system of the Agco Group subsidiary, the required pressure is measured and automatically adjusted at each of the 20 coulters. “The force required often varies by a factor of 10,” says Lauper. Crop residues or compacted wheel tracks are potential causes. Winter barley following grain corn, just over a month after sowing. Soil organisms break down the corn straw very quickly. Lightweight Tractors in Action If each coulter is individually regulated, it saves a tremendous amount of energy and weight: “The machine can be a quarter to a third lighter. Then I don’t need such a heavy tractor. The seed is carried in the front tank. The electronic system reduces the overall weight. That is the way of the future. We do everything with 6.7-ton tractors. When going uphill, we sometimes drive at only 5 to 6 kilometers per hour The maize fills up the rows. The soil becomes more and more shaded. There is still a mulch layer between the rows. The earthworms will gradually work through it. 9
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ENGLISH ISSUE 12 - 14 December 2023
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Autumn 2023 EN

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