Camera-controlled hoeing of row crops (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

The distance of the operating tools from the middle of the row is reduced to as little as 2.5 cm at a working speed of 6-7 km/h (when the crop is in early development stage). Practical recommendations Observations and practical hints • The earlier the better: hoeing should be performed as soon as the row is visible. • The more developed the crop is, the larger the distance between the hoeing sweeps and the centre of the row should be. • In crusty soils, the working speed should be reduced during the early development stage of the crop to decrease the risk of uprooting the crop

Autumn cover crops (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

Best results were reached with cereal mixtures that were produced on farm, such as barley and rye. Practical recommendations Observations and hints • In Northern Italy, a mixture of barley and rye fits best in a wide range of situations. • Sow as soon as possible after harvesting the summer crops. • If the soil is not clean enough, a shallow soil labour can be applied. Otherwise, direct sowing is preferred. • Including legumes in the mixture, such as vetch and/or faba beans, has been shown to be advantageous when the cover crop is sown in early September or October, and the succeeding crop is sown at the end of May. • In case of early sowing by end of August, a cover crop consisting of only white mustard showed good results, especially in its decompacting ability, due to its taproot. • The cover crop should be sown evenly. Areas with no seeds can promote weed growth. • When possible, it is preferable to apply reduced tillage to prepare the seedbed in spring. Thus, the positive effects of the cover crop taproot system are preserved

Direct drilling of winter cereals (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

Direct drilling has achieved results similar to conventional sowing techniques (including seedbed preparation) if the soil is well structured. Practical recommendations Observations and practical tips • Pay attention to the soil structure when applying any mechanical operation. During the harvest, offloading should take place at the headlands. • In the case of a high presence of deep-rooting weeds, choose a double-layer soil preparation (instead of compacting the soil) in order to increase porosity. • Avoid sowing if heavy rains are expected in the next 5-6 days. • Include cover crops in the rotation to improve soil structure. Cover crops are a key element to fine-tune direct drilling techniques. • Directly drilled soil warms up more slowly in springtime. An early harrowing in springtime to facilitate nitrogen mobilization is recommended. • Avoid crop residue coming into contact with the seeds (see link on hairpinning on page 2). • To reduce the risk of mycotoxins, implement appropriate crop rotations and avoid sowing more than one winter cereal in a row or a winter cereal on corn residues with direct drilling

Cover crop mulches and no-till soybean (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

Several methods of sowing into mulch were tested: A) No-till sowing into a standing cover crop, then rolling the cover crop with a roller crimper; B) No-till sowing into a standing cover crop, then creating mulch by passing over it with a flail shredder; C) No-till sowing into a standing cover crop, and no follow-up procedures; D) Mulch obtained with a flail shredder, then no-till sowing with a tine air seeder; and E) Roller crimper followed by no-till sowing with a tine air seeder. All of these methods, except method B, have shown good results in terms of weed control, and preser-vation of soil water (even during the dry summer in 2016). Yields were comparable with those of the tilled fields, except for method C. Practical recommendations • The cover crop needs to be sown as accurately as the main crop. Poor cover crop stands do not result in good mulches. • The effectiveness of the mulch depends on the amount of mulch biomass. However, more biomass also means more difficulty for the planter

Soybean silage (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

Soybean silage can replace part of the lucerne hay or part of the lucerne silage. Practical recommendations. Observations and practical tips • Best at the R6/R7 stage (full seed size for apical pods and beginning maturity for basal pods). • Late harvests (stage R7/R8) promote good silage fermentation and preservation of the product; however, there is a loss of dry matter. • If harvest occurs at stage R5/R6, use a swather to mow the soybean 24 to 48 hours prior to chopping (at around 35 % dry matter). • Choose varieties with low levels of anti-nutritional factors. • Increase seed rate to decrease stem diameter. • Consider using a microbial inoculum to promote proper fermentation

Weed trimming in soybeans (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

With one or more passages, weeds that overtop the soybean crop are trimmed, thus avoiding further competition, seed ripening and spreading of the weeds. The method is also effective on weedy sunflowers. When applied in winter cereals, the method helps to contain grain moisture, which is an important price parameter. Practical recommendations • The possibility to control some weeds in advanced growth stages with the weed trimmer does not replace the systematic application of preventive weed control measures. • Proper timing of weed trimming is essential. Trimming must be carried out before canopy closure, as it will be difficult to drive into the crop after canopy closure. • Large working widths reduce operational costs and damages on the crop by the tractor wheels, but they also reduce the cutting height accuracy

Cover crop mulches and no-till maize (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

In a Northern Italian context, a field pea cover crop was tested as mulch for the maize crop. The roller crimper effectively terminated the cover crop (15 t per ha of wet biomass). However, the mulch did not last long enough, probably due to a narrow C/N-ratio and biologically active soil. The maize plants did not have enough time to develop and shade the entire soil surface. Weeds started to sprout through the decomposing mulch. For the test conditions, this cover crop has proven unsuitable as a long-lasting mulch to control weeds. No fertilization and no irrigation were applied. The maize yields amounted to about 5 t per ha. Practical recommendations • The cover crop needs to be sown as accurately as the main crop. Poor cover crop stands do not result in good mulches. • The effectiveness of the mulch depends on the amount of mulch biomass. However, more biomass also means more difficulty for the planter. • On soils with low organic matter content, additional nitrogen fertilisation should be considered

D.3.3: Collection of end-user material

The main aim of OK-net Arable project is to make available tools that facilitate exchange of knowledge and promote co-production of knowledge relevant for farmers to help them improve organic arable cropping. This report is the main outcome of task 3.3 of the project. The goal of this task was to identify criteria for relevant end-user and education material, select the best materials among those already available and develop new material, based on state-of-the-art research results and best practices (deliverable D3.1) and the recommended methods and tools for knowledge exchange (deliverable D3.2) in each of the thematic areas important for organic arable farmers (soil quality & fertility, nutrient management, weed control, pest & disease control as well as cropping systems and crop specific tools)