Sky Agriculture and OPICO, in co-operation with Oakbank, are running a ‘No-till and Cover Crop Roadshow’ from the 4-7th July 2016. The venues are listed below (see notes) and all growers interested in no-till, min-till and cover cropping are encouraged to attend.

The aim of the meetings will be to help farmers learn more about the benefits and pitfalls of integrating different cover crop species and mixtures into their rotations, alongside how best to navigate a smooth transition to a no-till cultivation system.

Christophe DeCarville, Sky Agriculture Product Manager said, ‘Direct drilling is not a magic wand to farm without the plough. To ensure a no-till system is successful, growers need a transitional period when soils need to be improved and rotations altered. Cover crops can be an integral part of this process and these roadshows aim to help growers look at their whole system to ensure that no-till can work for them, cutting time and input costs whilst nurturing the soil.’

Demonstration plots will assist discussion and Christophe will outline some of the key aspects to consider when moving to a direct drilling system, using his twenty five years’ experience with cover crops and no-till in many parts of Europe and the world. Seed and conservation specialists, Oakbank, will be on hand to answer grower’s questions on the suitability of species and mixtures in different soil types and rotations.

Commenting, James Woolway said, ‘The OPICO dealer network has been quick to take on demo drills from the Sky Agriculture range and we are delighted to be running these technical events, supporting growers who are considering a move to a no-till system.’

Notes

Christophe DeCarville, Sky Agriculture, Biography

After studying engineering at agricultural college in the nineties, Christophe spent three years working in the United States where he learnt about different crop establishment techniques. He then returned to his native France, where he joined Sky Agriculture as their Product Manager for the EasyDrill range. Since then, Christophe has become a recognised expert on min-till and no-till drilling, working with farmers all over the world, including Europe, South America, the USA and Canada, amassing a vast depth of knowledge and experience on conservation agriculture, agronomical techniques and machinery.

More recently he has spent a considerable amount of time trialling cover crops and different rotations, in order to understand their interaction with no-till systems.

Christophe is now heavily involved in an advisory role, using his wealth of knowledge to assist Sky Agriculture customers to make a smooth transition to no-till.

Oakbank

Oakbank is a specialist game and stewardship mixture provider which advises farmers around the UK on species and mixtures associated with conservation agriculture and game cover.

www.oakbankgc.co.uk

Roadshow Dates

For more information visit - http://www.sky-agriculture.co.uk/roadshow/