China is a huge agricultural producing nation with millions of farmers, and as all farmers know, before growing a crop the fields have to be prepared. This may include plowing, terrace building/rebuilding, or weed pulling. In some cases it may include all of these and even more. This is one of the most labor-intensive parts of growing a crop, but it is also one of the most critical steps. I would like to focus on field preparation and seeding.
Tillage is a general term referring to manual or mechanical stirring actions necessary for the proper establishment of crops. Types of tillage may vary widely, but the purposes of tilling remain the same: to provide an optimum environment for seed germination and seedling growth. Without good seedling growth a good crop will never materialize.
My father and I used to farm three fields. All of the fields posed different problems; one was very weedy, one was contained a lot of rocks, and one had very shallow soil. We farmed the land for several years and we worked very hard. We grew both wheat and soybeans, but before we could grow any good crops we had to prepare the fields.
On the weedy field we tilled the soil a number of times prior to planting soybeans. As the soybeans grew, the weeds reappeared and we had to continue working to remove the weeds. Research has shown that only one aggressive weed per one meter row of soybeans can reduce total yield by 10-12%. Therefore, my father and I worked very hard to remove as many weeds as we could.
The field with the rocks was also a great deal of work. We picked the rocks up and moved them to the edge of the field. We knew from experience that seedlings did not grow well in rocky ground. We estimated that 70% of the planted seeds would ever grow and the crop never did very good on this rocky soil.
The shallow soil was easy to get seedlings started, but a hard layer of soil 15 cm deep prevented the plants from ever reaching there full potential. This was the most difficult field to deal with. From looking at the field we could see no rocks or weeds, but the crops just would not grow well. It was not until the second year we figured out the soil was thin.
After the experience of farming these fields I read in the Bible a story that Jesus told. He told about a farmer that went and scattered seed in four different field conditions. I could really relate to this, as I too also knew how different fields could affect seedling growth. The farmer in Jesus’ story first scattered some seed on a path, birds came and are it up. Still other seed fell on rocky places, where there was not much soil. The seed sprang up quickly, but when the sun came up, the plants were scorched because there was no root. Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up produced a crop, multiplying 30, 60, or even 100 times (Mark 4:4-8).
This story made perfect since to me because I had a similar experience, but the Bible is God’s Word and I knew there had to be more of a meaning. The people Jesus was tell this story also did not understand. Jesus explained that the soil conditions represented our hearts and the seed represented God’s Word. The seed scattered on the path is heard, but Satan (represented by the birds) takes away the word (Mark 4:15). The path is hard and so were the hearts that heard the word and the word was rejected.
Others, like seed scattered on rock ground, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecutions comes because of the word they quickly fall away (Mark 4:16). These are people that hear the word start to believe it, but their belief is not strong enough to sustain them through the troubles of life.
Still others, like seed scattered among the thorns, hear the word; but the worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires of other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful (Mark 4:17). These people hear the word and believe it in their mind, but never believe it in their hearts, making them unfruitful.
Others, like seed scattered on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – 30, 60 or even 100 times what was scattered (Mark 4:15-20). These people have heard the word and believe it with all of their hearts and their lives are blessed.
This story has a lesson for both believers and non-believers in Jesus. For the believers the story tells us to spread God’s Word likes seeds on a field, and for non-believers the story teaches that God’s Word can bless their lives 30, 60, 100 times. However, the condition of your heart must be like the good soil so God’s Word can grow in you.
For optimum seed germination and seedling growth the seed needs to have good seed to soil contact. The soil needs to contain adequate moisture and temperature. I would like to share with you what the ideal field conditions would be for a variety of crops. However, my first recommendation concerning tillage is to complete all tillage operations as close to planting time as possible. This is because there is always weed seed present in the soil. I have learned that if I complete the tillage a week or two prior to planting weed seeds have a jump-start on my crop.
When it comes to seed to soil contact the soil should be firm for all seeded crops. To obtain a firm seedbed the field needs to be plowed for weed control and then worked down with lighter tillage tools. The seed to soil contact is important for seedlings to absorb water and nutrients. A good test to determine if the seedbed is firm is to step on the prepared field and looking at how deep your foot indents the soil. A good seedbed could be described when your foot sinks 2 centimeters or less; a fair seedbed is when your foot sinks 2 to 5 centimeters; and a poor seedbed is when your foot sinks more than 5 centimeters. As the seedbed preparation quality is reduced the farmer should slightly increase the seeding rate.
I would now like to share some recommendations for seeding Wheat, Rice, and Soybeans.
I will start with wheat. Wheat grows well in a range of soil types; however, well-drained soils with medium to fine texture produce the highest yields. Adequate drainage is essential; thus draining wet fields is important. Plan the wheat crop far enough in advance to plant an early maturing summer crop in fields to be planted to wheat in the fall. This will permit planting of wheat at the optimum time for maximum winter survival and yield potential.
When planting at the proper time and into soil that is not too wet, seed should be planted 3 centimeters deep. Row width should be 14 to 20 centimeters. Planting by kilograms per hectare is very inaccurate due to variability in seed size from year to year and from one wheat type to another. Low seeding rates result in inadequate stands and winter injury, while excessively high rates increase lodging and disease. The optimum wheat seeding rates are in the range of 3.9 to 4.9 million seeds per hectare for seven-inch rows. Counting this many seeds is not practical, so here is an easier way. If you count 64 seeds in one-meter row of planted wheat this equals 3.9 million seeds per hectare. Likewise, 80 seeds per one-meter row of planted wheat this equals 4.9 million seeds per hectare.Rice is probably the most important agronomic grown in China and probably the most complicated crop to plant. Rice can be planted in two general ways: direct seeding and transplanting. When seeding a well-prepared seedbed, with no weeds and only a few clods, is important. If rice is to seeded following rice or other crops the crop residue should be tilled well into the soil in the fall to speed decomposition of the stubble. When direct seeding a desired plant population can be achieved b planting 130 to 150 kilograms per hectare. Low seeding rates may provide an inadequate buffer against stand losses from seedling disease and other stand establishment problems. High seeding rates may provide overly dense stands, increasing the severity of diseases, interplant competition for nutrients, and lodging.
When seeding directly into the soil the seeding should begin as soon and the soil reaches 18° Celsius. Earlier seedings will result in reduced seedling vigor and later seeding will shorten the growing season for the rice. When seeding in this manner seed should just be covered by soil.
Another effective way of seeding rice is to presoak the rice. Before planting,
seed can be soaked in water for 24 to 36 hours, drained for 18 to 24 hours, and
planted directly into the flooded paddy. Soaking initiates germination and
displaces air in the seed coat, increasing seed weight by approximately 25
percent so it will sink to the soil surface. Unsoaked seed may float on the
water surface and distribute unevenly in the field. Planting presoaked seed
speeds germination and seedling emergence by two days, compared to planting dry
seed. A disadvantage of pregerminated seed, however, is that once germination
has begun, the seed must be planted. A prolonged soak/drain period reduces seed
viability and may cause complete mortality from overheating or oxygen
deprivation. If the soak/drain period has resulted in root emergence, mechanical
damage to the seedling may occur at planting.
Soybeans originated in China and are still a very important crop. Research has shown that the date of planting has more effect on soybean grain yield than any other production practice. Soybeans should be planted when soil temperatures reach a minimum of 16° Celsius. Yield loss resulting from delayed planting ranges from 7 kilograms to more than 28 kilograms per hectare per day. Vigorous stands are more difficult to obtain with early planting. Good seed-soil contact and reduced seeding depths aid in establishing vigorous stands.
Soybean yields are not very responsive to changes in seeding rates. However, excessive seeding rates will produce tall plants with small, weak stalks and lodging will likely occur. If seeding rates are too low the plants will be short, have many branches, and the pods will be close to the soil surface, making harvest losses excessive. Seeding rates that produce from 200,000 to 345,000 plants per hectare at harvest are adequate for soybeans. This translates to 14 seeds per meter row when the rows are planted 36 centimeters apart.Three to four centimeters is the ideal soybean planting depth where tillage is used. The soil should be free of large "clods" to insure good seed-soil contact and good seed coverage. Shallower planting promotes more rapid emergence than deeper planting. Soil temperatures at 2.5 centimeter depth are 1 to 3° Celsius warmer than at 5 centimeter depth.
I would like to make a special note about quality of seed. It is impossible to tell if the seed will ever grow just by looking at it. In order to determine the percent germination of the seed to be planted I recommend doing a simple germination test. Counting out 100 seeds and placing them between two damp cloths can accomplish this. Place this in a warm place in your house and see how many seeds germinate after 5 to 7 days. If the seeds do not germinate well you should increase the seeding rate to account the low germination.
The key to ever producing a good crop starts with planting seeds. The seeds must be planted into a good soil and allowed to grow and mature into a crop. The seedling may face many obstacles in its growth. These may include weeds, drought, and storms. This is just like God’s Word. When it is planted into a good heart as Jesus illustrated by a “good soil” it will grow, mature and yield 30, 60, and even 100 times what was planted. But just because one has learned and accepted the God’s Word as the Truth there will still be obstacles. There will be persecution, worries, and the storms of life, but trust God and you will be blessed.