These include improved soil conservation and soil conditions and maintained or slightly increased productivity. A major decision for farmers considering adopting no-tillage practices concerns the choice of machinery. Disc machines handle stubble fairly well and are ideally suited to light soils that are prone to wind erosion. However, they are not as versatile as tined machines which can be easily reconfigured for a variety of soil and crop conditions. Chemicals that need to be incorporated also present a difficult challenge with this type of machine.
Tine machines are less able to cope with stubble than disc seeders.
Successful use of these seeders in a stubble retention system requires preparation of stubble at harvest, which may cost more in time and wear on the harvester. However, they have the ability to use points of different shape and size to match a range of requirements for soil disturbance and fertiliser placement. Wider row spacings improve the stubble handling ability, particularly for lupins but wheat yields may be reduced. There is a range of new machinery or conversions for existing machinery available for farmers contemplating the move to no-till sowing. Farmers can choose the most cost effective machine for their particular environment, soil type, cropping area and budget.