Supply of soil water

Residue retention (macro)

The more residues that are retained on the soil surface the greater will be the moisture conserved by no-tillage. This demands openers with superior residue-handling properties where Cross Slot has no equal (see experiment 15).

Snow catch

Maximum stubble retention traps maximum snow but is often sacrificed to accommodate poor residue handling by openers. Cross Slot has no such restriction.

Low disturbance

It takes at least 80% residue retention is to gain greatest benefit from no-tillage. Cross Slot regularly achieves 80%+.

Cover crops (permanent cover)

Growing cover crops achieves many of the good things that residue retention achieves between crops. Cross Slot handles cover crops with ease and preserves the ground cover they create.