ULTRA-LOW-DISTURBANCE [ULD] IS THE FUTURE FOR OUR DRY LAND REGION !!!!

      We are only three years into ULD, but going over information this fall relating to climate, soil health, moisture savings, weed control, fertility issues, and what I am seeing by using the system, I am convinced that this is the way to go, and willing to step out and say so.  ULD has the potential to dramatically cut costs of fertilizer, chemical and seed.  ULD at the same time has the potential to maximize yields through better crop emergence and savings in moisture that normally would evaporate off the soil surface.  Any ULD system will have to incorporate a sophisticated seed depth control system to maximize it's effectiveness in the variable environment of soils and residue.  My reasoning for ULD is as follows, --by topic.
       CLIMATE:     Can anyone deny that the climate is dynamic and changing.  I have seen plenty of change in my 60+ years working in the field, swinging from cold winters with lots of snow and summers with thunderstorms and down pours, to milder winters with little snow and no summer storms.  In some ways I'm seeing events that appear to be reverting back to the 40's & 50's.  In other ways I'm seeing more extreme events, not only in intensity, but also timing.
        Several years ago I sat in on a UW and USGS presentation on expectations for Washington Climate in 50-80 years.  There was a presentation on what would happen to grain crops with a 2 degree average temperature rise.  As it turned out we have recent experience with that condition.  One year in the early 2000's, there was a persistent high pressure cell stationed over France that raised the average temperature in that region for the year, 2 degrees.  This temperature increase either created or was in conjunction with a shift in seasons which resulted in a disaster for small grains.  This shift caught much of the small grain crop blooming with high temperatures, leaving blank heads.  As farmers we have to adapt our operation, where we can, to accommodate this changing climate.   It may include extreme temperature, rainfall and wind events, shift in seasons, dry seeding conditions, and insects, and diseases that express themselves in cultivars under stress.  GMO and GE cultivars will likely play a role in plant growth habits, drought resistance, insect and disease resistance, but we as growers have to prepare our ground and protect our moisture as best we can.
       Climate change prediction for Washington State includes:  --2 degree average temperature increase.  --total moisture amount about the same.  --little or no snow pack in the Cascade mountains.  --rivers will peak one month earlier.  --winter wheat will be the crop in eastern Washington.  Nothing stated about moisture or season shift.
        RESIDUE--CROP AND OTHER:   Residue has a lot to offer.  The biomass helps support the soil fauna and decomposing roots leave channels for water infiltration.  Residue laying on the surface protects the surface from the destructive energy of falling rain drops. (see "Links" page for Rain Drop)   Residue is also an insulating blanket moderating soil temperature, and reducing the drying effect of air moving across the surface.  Surface residue is food for the vertical boring (nightcrawler) worms.  It's important that sufficient residue lay on the surface so that dirt is not visible.  Dirt showing will erode, and moisture loss will accelerate through evaporation.  Leave residue standing as tall as possible.  The taller the residue the less air movement along the soil surface.  Any cultivation, including direct seeding, destroys residue.  ULD minimizes this loss. I don't think you can get too much residue.  The trick is to seed into/through it!
      COVER CROPS:  Cover crops may be needed to supplement crop residue during fallow periods.  Seed depth moisture is an obvious concern any time cover crops are mentioned.  The fact that growing crops only transpire 12% of the available moisture (see earlier post on moisture, 8/19/12), different crops draw their high moisture use from different depths at different times, and timing for cover crop destruction can be variable, the seed depth moisture loss may not be the problem perceived.  It's not well understood, but there is a syngeneic effect from planting multi-specie cover crop helping all cultivars thrive in a drought compared to single species planting.  Will it work to interplant the cash crop?

       SOIL HEALTH:    Most farmers, including myself have shallow knowledge of soil health and it's real value.   This section will be statements with few comments.  Mostly things to ponder!
 ---- One frequently hears that the quantity living organisms living below the soil surface on an acre basis is staggering.  The healthier the soil the more organisms there are to feed.
----- Both, aerobic and anaerobic organisms are found in the soil profile.
----- Anaerobic organisms thrive under poorly aerated soil and cause many of the negative plant health issues.
---- Soils with good structure have low levels of anaerobic organisms.  There structure supports proper relationship of water and air for aerobic organism processes.
---- The higher the OM, the better the soil.
---- The improving OM also indicates that structure is improving.  Improving structure however, doesn't necessarily indicate improving OM.
---- Soils with good structure and high OM can manufacture and make available most fertility elements necessary for plant growth.
---- From what I am reading the capacity of OM to provide most of the nutrients for plants, if managed for that purpose, starts at 3% and above.
---- OM is slow to build.  It is easier to save than build.
---- Eroded soils are slow to recover OM because there is so little left of the soil biology to start up the rebuilding process.
---- Eroded soils erode faster.  As OM and structure collapses, soils seal allowing moisture to run off.
---- All cultivation, from any operation, degrades soils by collapsing structure, burning OM.  It's the nature of cultivation.
---- Recent designated categories for OM are "active" and "mature".  Active OM means it is biologically active.  Mature OM means it has little biological activity associated with it.  The crop residues we see are more of a pre-OM state termed litter.
---- Every year that our soils deteriorate puts us more than another year away from recovery.
---- Plants under stress are more prone for insect attack.
---- Insects that attack crop cultivars are color sensitive.
      SEEDING:
---- Less soil disturbance creates the condition for less weed germination.
---- Seed laying on residue struggle to germinate and compete with a growing crop.  The thicker the mat the better.
---- Seed planted in soil thrives, but seed planted in residue struggles.
----My opinion: -->any two pass is better than conventional tillage, any one pass is better than two pass, and any single disc opener is better than a hoe.  Currently the CrossSlot is the best technology today in single disc drills for our dryland, low moisture environment.