With drier times still predicted for 2024, moisture management is set to become even more critical in order to maximise soil and paddock productivity.
Australian manufacturer K-Line Ag specialises in a range of high-quality and high-performance tillage equipment that has been serving the needs of farmers for more than 30 years.
“In a country like Australia, one of the driest in the world, farmers know just how critical moisture management is,” CNH Industrial Australia and New Zealand seeding and tillage brand leader David Gibson said.
“It impacts crop growth and yield, and overall farm profitability, and if done well can lead to many benefits including improved soil health, reduced erosion, better water use efficiencies and climate resilience,” he said.
“Ensuring soils are well-prepared and ready for rain and associated moisture collection can mean the difference between a great crop and an average one, particularly when good rainfall is hard to find.”
Mr Gibson said K-Line Ag, with its manufacturing base in Cowra, NSW, had developed a range of equipment specially designed for Australian conditions that worked to help optimise soil health and productivity.
The K-Line Ag TrackAttack is a versatile and effective option when it comes to incorporating moisture management strategies, offering a range of track options designed for various soil conditions and helping to minimise soil compaction and maximise moisture retention.
Mr Gibson said with the TrackAttack, the issue of soil compaction is combatted by facilitating tram-line farming, a method that limits vehicle traffic to designated areas rather than across the entire paddock.
This is achieved by levelling out wheel tracks, ruts, and uneven terrain, the front row of discs slicing through the ground, loosening and moving soil onto the tram-line, while the crumbler roller follows behind, breaking down clods and leaving a flat, even surface.
K-Line Ag’s Ripper range also works to solve soil compaction, featuring the MaxxRipper, ThunderRipper and LightningRipper.
“The practice of deep ripping to address compaction and allow for moisture pathways between the surface and sub-surface areas of the soil profile is an important aspect of well-prepped paddocks and our Ripper range is designed to cater for a variety of farming operations and soil challenges,” Mr Gibson said.
The Trashcutter is an above-the-ground moisture management solution, particularly well suited to zero-till operations, he said.
Its advanced design lays stubble to one side and then slices the stubble with self-sharpening discs into short lengths. With the Trashcutter, more stubble remains in the soil, helping minimise both wind and water erosion.
Mr Gibson said as farmers start thinking about planting their next crops, it’s a great time to do a stocktake of their tillage equipment and consider the K-Line range.
“It’s all Australian-designed and locally manufactured, ideally suited to our conditions and currently there are good stock levels available through local Case IH and New Holland dealers.”