"If we can get a better crop on fertilized summerfallow thanon the unfertilized stuff, why do we have summerfallow?"This is the question Bob and Wendy Eyolfson of Leslie asked themselvesin 1982. Bob had been banding granular fertilizer into stubblebut when he ran out of stubble, he put the remaining fertilizeron some summerfallow acres. Since the crop was much better onthe fertilized summerfallow than that which had not been fertilized,he and Wendy decided to eliminate summerfallow from their rotation.In 1983, their entire acreage was seeded and they moved into continuouscropping.
While the Eyolfsons could see the benefits of continuously cropping,they weren't yet ready to make the switch to direct seeding. "Wheneversomeone began to talk about direct seeding and zero tillage, I'dgo look for someone more intelligent to talk to," jokes Bob.Bob explains that because he and Wendy are pedigreed seed growers,he felt every field needed to be worked to control weeds and volunteercrops. "We used intensive tillage but round about 1990 Ibegan to "see the light" and realized that those directseeders did know what they were talking about," says Bob.That's when he began to attend SSCA conferences and workshopsabout direct seeding.
In the fall of 1992, no stubble was worked on their farm as conditionswere just too wet. That winter, they sold their cultivators andair tank and bought an air drill. In 1993, they began to directseed. Did they have any misgivings when they began direct seeding?Bob says no. "By attending all those conferences and hearingso many producers speak, I knew the system would work. It wasjust a matter of getting out there and doing it for ourselves".
Bob and Wendy have been seeding with a boot that enables themto double shoot and single side band. However, under wet conditions,they found that the fertilizer opener tended to plug. In 1996,they are using a prototype opener designed by Morris. It, too,has the ability to double shoot and single side band with lesssoil disturbance as the seed row will be more compact.
The Eyolfsons have experienced a few drawbacks in their directseeding. "Learning to seed at just 5 mph instead of 7 wasquite an experience", says Bob." And you lose your volumediscount on diesel because you don't use enough!" To counterthese drawbacks, the Eyolfsons point out the many benefits todirect seeding. "We no longer have to watch our dirt blowingpast our window," says Bob, "and our land is in bettershape." Any stone picking these past 2 years has been accomplishedby hand, the stone picker hasn't even been hooked up to the tractor.With the registration of pre harvest Roundup, their concerns aboutthistles have been greatly reduced. Quackgrass is also under control.Bob thinks his weed problems are no worse than those of his conventionalseeding neighbours and certainly wild oats and wild millet areno longer a major problem.
Bob and Wendy have a variety of crops in their rotation includingcanola, peas, sometimes lentils ( although weed control is a problem) durum, spring wheat and barley. Wendy says "A direct seedingsystem is a lot trickier when you grow pedigreed cereal seed butit can be done." Bob suggests that rotations be watched closely."When moving from barley to wheat, use a pulse and then anoilseed as isolation crops."
When asked what advise he has for producers thinking about directseeding, he offers this " First of all, don't believe theskeptics! You won't go broke direct seeding. Don't go part way,go all the way! If you buy an air drill, use it. Don't work theground first and then seed. That machine has the ability to seedinto stubble for you so do it. And while you're at it, doubleshoot."
Bob and Wendy Eyolfson farm near Leslie. They have 3 children,Jennifer, Kimberly and Amanda.