AN innovative biodegradable film is being used to trap soil heat, allowing crops including cotton to get off to an earlier start.
The OneCrop Cotton system, which was on display on the Norseman stand at CRT FarmFest last week, is applied at planting using equipment fitted to the tool bar.
David McGrath from DC EnvironPlas which markets the OneCrop Cotton system, said the film would trap up to 7 degrees C additional heat, averaging about 3-4C.
“Farmers are effectively buying a month of growing time,” Mr McGrath said.
“What is really happening is the plant is able to get its tap root down faster to establish a more vigorous and robust plant.
“That results in higher yields and other benefits like being more resistant to hail.”
Mr McGrath said the benefits of a earlier crop producing more cotton significantly outweighed the cost of the system.
Mr McGrath said the system has the ability to consistently raise soil surface temperature by 3C by night and 6C by day in normal climatic conditions and cotton planting windows. A 5km roll of film is valued at about $300.
“OneCrop Cotton can also help lock in soil moisture, meaning ground moisture is better protected from evapotranspiration, and could mean an overall reduction in water consumption in the crop growth cycle,” Mr McGrath said.
The slitted design of the film allows the seedling to slip through the barrier with no stress and ensures there is no excessive heat build up which could damage the seedlings.
“The microclimate is preserved where the moisture and soil temperature is locked in.”
The improvements in yields have been impressive.
Mr McGrath said the best gains achieved using OneCrop Cotton has been a 29 per cent increase.
“In the first commercial trials OneCrop Cotton has contributed to bringing a cotton crop from planting to defoliation in 162 days,” Mr McGrath said. “This was achieved in a real world commercial trial in a typical Australian cotton operation where no additional fertilisers or chemicals were used.”
Mr McGrath said none of biodegradable film was left by planting.
“This eliminates any risk of plastic contamination in a cotton bale,” he said. The biodegradable film system is also being trialed with chickpeas. There are a lot of good reasons to add the OneCrop Cotton process including time efficiencies, cashflow advantages, and gains following cereals.”
Visit: www.dcenviroplas.com.au
