Cross Slot drills increase crop yields and profits for farmers.

Environmental Benefits

Soil Erosion

  • Water and wind surface erosion is minimised when residues are kept on the surface.
  • Surface residues cushions the effect of rain drop splash on the soil and slow down run-off rates.
  • Cross Slot’s ability to seed through very heavy residue allows farmers to leave all residues on the surface which traps moisture for the crop and increases soil organic matter levels, creating a win-win for the farmer and conservationists.
  • Dryland experiments show that crop residues are worth 2 – 4 inches of water annually.
  • Buffer zones can be reduced to as little as two feet (Spokane Conservation District) keeping more land in production.

Wind Erosion

  • Wind blown soil erosion on bare tilled soils can lose up to 30 tons of topsoil per year (KSU Extension, DeAnn Presley).

  • Where residue is left, annual soil losses are often less than 1 ton per acre. (KSU Extension, DeAnn Presley).

Fertilizer Chemical Leaching

  • Fertilizer banding below ground reduces leaching and run off of nutrients above ground.
  • Low Disturbance above the ground reduces weed growth requiring less spraying and potential run-off of chemicals into streams.

CO2 Emissions Reduced

  • Residues left on the ground reduce the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.
  • Residues become food for earthworms and soil microbes when recycled back into the soil (called "sequestration").
  • Sequestered residues help build soil organic matter and soil organic carbon.



Economic Benefits

COMPARED WITH TILLAGE AND MINIMUM-TILLAGE

  • Fuel costs, labor and tractor time – save up to 60%.
  • Reduces Input Costs – less Fertilizer and Seed required.
  • Seed rate is reduced by high germination and emergence rates.
  • Capital costs are similar to tillage – operating costs are much less.
  • Machinery replacement and maintenance are less frequent.
  • Cross Slot is designed and built for a 10,000 hour service life.

INCREASED YIELDS

  • Equal or better than tillage.
  • Excellent emergence and establishment.
  • Below ground banded fertilizer increases efficiency of uptake.
  • Flexible cover-crops established and re-cropped.

INCREASED SEEDING EFFICIENCY

  • Routine seeding speed is 10-16km/hr (6–10 mile/hr).
  • More acres farmed with the same resources – more profit.
  • More time available for management and choices.

No other no-tillage technology has ever out-performed Cross Slot!



What our clients say

The first thing Andy and Rob Law had to do before they bought a Cross Slot drill was convince their (late) father the figures justified the investment. That was 1998 and now, after that purchase, their farms are in great shape and the figures are looking even better.

Land sustainability was Andy Russell's original motivation for direct drilling. "I started out using the Cross Slot to protect the soil, but now it's much more than that. The soil would pile up or disappear over the fences." he recalls the days when wind was a major risk with his traditional cultivation regime. But now the Cross Slot plays a major role in his overall management system.

They say there are only two things that are certain in life, but Bruce McKelvie has one to add to that list. By using a Cross Slot drill he has not only eliminated the soil erosion on his Tangimoana property, but is now growing summer crops in his sandy soils. 'The reality is it has made it possible to grow these crops with 100% certainty. You can pick your sowing date, that's the key to it,' says McKelvie.

There are sound reasons we invested in Cross Slot no-tillage including the fact it costs less!

Jim and Jill Williams, Masterton, New Zealand

The best thing Peter and Viv Paton did was to go and look at what other people were achieving with Cross Slot no-tillage. "We liked what we saw and felt we could achieve the same results - and we have..."

More Farmer Testimonals