Any day now, the weather and the ground will dry out enough for local farmers to get into their fields. When that day arrives, growers can save time and money by planting with a no-till drill. Using a no-till drill lowers input costs by reducing the number of passes required to get seed in the ground.
The Esch no-till drill, available for rent from the Adams Soil and Water Conservation District, offers other benefits, as well.
“It’s no secret that crops don’t grow on their own,” said Kris Stone, supervisor with the ASWCD. “Plants depend on the symbiotic relationship with the fungi and bacteria that live in the root zone. Plowing breaks up that mycorrhizal community and impedes the plants’ uptake of nutrients. No-till technology minimizes soil disturbance and protects those underground networks so plants can thrive.”
Another plus of the Esch Model 5612 is its unique design that allows it to pivot on the tongue from a narrow profile for towing on the road to a wider profile for planting. In towing mode, the drill is just 8 feet 10 inches wide. But in planting mode, it covers a 12-foot swath for greater efficiency. Those features have made the Esch a popular choice for farmers from Cambridge to Indian Valley to the OX Ranch northwest of Council.
Les Nunn, manager of the OX, had experimented with a borrowed no-till drill on a few fields before renting the Esch last fall.
“The more we learn about the benefits of no-till practices and the drawbacks of traditional plowing and discing, the more we believe no-till is the way to go,” Nunn said.
He used the Esch to interseed a mix of wheat grasses and legumes such as sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil into established grass pasture to increase plant diversity.
“When you’re trying to figure out just the right seed-to-soil contact when planting a seed mix, it helps to use good equipment,” Nunn said.
Other users have also been impressed with how precisely they’ve been able to calibrate the Esch. The unique Esch seed meter uses foam discs to maintain constant seed flow, and the offset double disc openers create a true ‘V’ bottom seed trench for optimal soil contact.
Duane Thiessen of Indian Valley also used the Esch to interseed a grass-forb mix last year. Now he’s watching those plants pop up in neat rows that will help revitalize an old pasture.
“With all we know about the benefits of no-till, why wouldn’t you want to give it a try?” Thiessen said.
To encourage use of the drill and make it affordable, Adams SWCD rents the drill for just $15/acre, plus $50/day and a small deposit. Learn more about renting and operating the Esch no-till drill on the Adams SWCD website: www.adamsconservationdistrict.org/esch-5612-no-till-drill. To reserve the drill, call (208) 253-4668.
