Carrfields believes low-disturbance no-tillage is the future for livestock and arable farming globally. And Novag T-ForcePlus no-till drills can help farmers become more efficient, achieve higher yields and earn better returns.
Carrfields completed a world-wide search for the most technically advanced no-tillage technology and decided that the drill produced by French company Novag is the best there is. So Carrfields secured the rights to provide 3m-9m Novag drills to its customers throughout New Zealand
The video below will provide you with an overview of this innovative product.
Visit the Novag website:
Next Generation Farming
Low-disturbance no-tillage seeding is the future for livestock, arable and mixed farming because it provides the opportunity to economically regenerate and protect soils in these farming enterprises.
No-till agriculture reduces the loss of carbon and moisture from the soil. It can lower the use of chemicals and fertilizers, so it is both more sustainable and more profitable.
T-SlotPlus
Novag T-ForcePlus drills use the T-SlotPlus opener, an innovative and science-based tool for successful no-tillage cropping systems.
The T-SlotPlus opener creates minimal surface-soil disturbance while creating an inverted T-shaped slot. Seed and fertilizer can be placed separately on the adjacent horizontal shelves of the inverted T.
The benefits of low-disturbance no-tillage are well documented and supported by farmers with 20+ years of successful adoption. Their combined experiences show a more resilient cropping system providing consistent yield results over wide-ranging seasonal variations and challenges. This is achieved by:
- More biologically active soils with higher OM levels.
- More moisture retentive soils together with improved natural drainage.
- Significant savings in machinery capital and operating costs including labour.
- Improved trafficability for equipment movement and stock grazing.
- Significant time savings resulting in less lost days for livestock grazing and crop growth.
- Less soil losses from wind and water erosion.
- Opportunity for more strategic fertilizer formulations and placement resulting in reduced fertilizer costs and losses.
In summary, low-disturbance no-tillage with Novag seed drills ticks many boxes for modern, compliant and cost-effective farming – water utilisation and quality, fertilizer efficiency, soil quality, labour efficiency, lifestyle opportunities and carbon efficiency.
Smart farming
Control of key seeding functions is at your fingertips. A single in-cab controller provides instant and accurate commands to critical drill functions. Novag’s IntelliForcePlus electro-hydraulic system automatically regulates opener downforce, responding rapidly to changing soil conditions to maintain consistent and accurate seeding depth. Each opener can apply from 100 kg to 500 kg of downforce.
Hydraulically driven metering units provide high rates of product metered with accuracy and without having to reduce speed. The outcome is the correct quantity of seed placed consistently at the correct depth, resulting in even establishment of the desired plant population – the foundation for a great crop!
Let’s talk trash!
One of the founding principles of no-tillage farming (and indeed nature itself!) is to always have the soil surface covered with growing or decaying vegetation. The soil is protected from moisture loss and erosion, water infiltrates more effectively, soil organic matter content increases from earthworm and microbial activity, soil structure and natural drainage improves and weeds are suppressed.
So, whether it’s straw spread after harvest, stubble from a grazed forage crop or standing cover crop, T-ForcePlus openers can manage high residue loads with ease.
Because residue management is much more than just “trash handling”! It’s about minimising surface disturbance and placing the residues where they can have maximum benefit. After all, if residue retention is important on a macro- (field) scale to retain moisture, control weeds, feed soil biology, halt erosion, etc. then it must be important on a micro-scale (over the seed zone).
Novag openers handle dense residues very well thanks to the blade/disc combination. The seed placement by the blades, on the side of the slot, prevents hair pinning problems which are otherwise common with disc drills. They also band fertilizer very effectively at 2-3cm from the seed, without putting it in contact with the seed.
When it comes to farming soil, less is more
Well-structured soils have improved water infiltration rates (natural drainage), better soil strength (trafficability) and retain moisture more effectively in dry conditions. Many studies have proven the long-term benefits of reduced soil disturbance in building soil structure and resilience in both wet and dry conditions. Add the benefits of increased soil organic matter and micro- and macro-organism activity and the message is clear: Less disturbance equals more benefits, environmental and financial!
Start now! We’re here to help!
No-tillage can reduce the amount of capital that is tied up in machinery and it cuts operating and labour costs because fewer passes are required to establish and protect the crop. Significant time savings can increase the number of days available to graze livestock and grow crops. But is it for you? Will it work on your farm? The answer is “Yes!”.
No-tillage has been successfully adopted by farmers around the world on a huge range of soil types and climatic conditions. But all will tell you that the transition period is the toughest. That’s where Carrfields comes in! Our staff have a lifetime of experience with low-disturbance no-tillage systems and, together with a network of successful farmers, can provide the knowledge and support you need to transition to next generation farming with this future-proof technology. Remember, good decisions come from good information!
Gain ground!
Carrfields is pleased to offer this European-sourced package at surprisingly attractive pricing. Contact us to discuss how we can help you transition to an environmentally and financially sustainable future. We can offer advice, demonstrations, visits to successful no-till farms, leading drill technology and product support across New Zealand. You’ll find it’s a very satisfying way of farming and it’s fun! All you have to do is ask.
