ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AGRONOMY 21 They also “don’t road well,” taking more fuel to operate and wearing faster than tires when not in the field. Generally speaking, Barnim believes Central Tire Inflation Systems (CTIS) can be a real winner. “In most cases, it’s about half the air pressure from the road to the field,” he says, referring to the amount of air required for effective operations on the two surfaces. Barnim adds that central inflation systems are particularly useful for sprayers and spreaders as they often travel to multiple fields on any given day. They also make good sense on planters, given well-documented yield losses incurred by compaction from overpressured planter tires. Indeed, Barnim says he doesn’t know why every centre-folding planter is not equipped with inflation-deflation capability. Central inflation systems also have safety features, including automatic settings to increase pressure once certain speeds are reached—assuming manual inflation did not occur due to operator error. As pointed out later in the day by Peter Johnson and Greg Stewart—the event’s compaction demonstration hosts—the importance of proper pressure on public roads should not be understated, given operator liability should an accident cause harm to a person or property. Since tire pressure also increases by one PSI for each degree of temperature rise, Barnim also says central inflation systems can keep equipment in optimal operational condition throughout the working day. In terms of cost, such systems can run in the area of $20,000, with the compressor being the most expensive component. However, a compressor mounted on one tractor can be used to operate a variety of implements if they have the rest of the inflation system installed. A centralized ISOBUS interface can be used to host information for multiple implements, enabling a more efficient inflationdeflation process. ROLE OF ROOTS The Rutherford compaction event also featured sessions on compaction troubleshooting—that is, understanding soil dynamics, and how to remediate compaction after it happens. Manual tillage can work, according to Dan Saurette, pedologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. If subsoil compaction is an issue, a deep rip capability can help, provided the soil is dry enough to fracture. Wet soil, conversely, will not break apart well. Additional methods—namely the use of living roots to improve soil organic matter and water infiltration—are also critical to compaction management and prevention. Diving further into the role of cover crops was Jake Munroe, field crop soil management specialist, and Christine Brown, field crop sustainability specialist with the provincial ministry. The pair describe cover crops, and specifically their root systems, as acting “like rebar in the soil,” in that they help soil withstand the significant pressures placed on it by heavy equipment. Species with large tap roots can break compacted layers while providing large channels for rainwater, while others with more fibrous root systems support soil structure as well as water holding capacity. The contribution of cover crops to water absorption should not be underrated, they say, pointing to data indicating a vast difference between water infiltration times between soil with cracks and covers, compared to coverless sealed soils. Brown reiterates that soil organic matter acts like a sponge, emphasizing the opportunities to build organic matter with cover crops. Ideally, she says, cover crops can be combined with manure to generate a “one plus one equals three” positive effect. Jake Munroe, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness field crop soil specialist.
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