Direct drilling of winter cereals

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.