“Even the elders do not remember such a delay”
[ad_1]
Raphaël Reynaud is at the head of a 200 hectare farm on which he cultivates wheat, barley, rapeseed and corn. He also raises a herd of Charolais for the sale of brotards. He is a member of the FDSEA. This year, the drought disrupted his plowing period.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen this since I moved to the farm in 1996,” he said. “Even the elders do not remember such a delay. »
He wanted to start sowing barley, oats and wheat at the beginning of October.
“The plow couldn’t get into the ground”
“The ground was so dry that the plow could not penetrate the earth to the necessary level,” he explains. “We were able to resume sowing at the beginning of November, with three-four weeks late. I should have finished my plowing, but I have work until the beginning of December.”
Despite everything, the farmer is not really worried: “We must not worry about the growth of the plants. It is still early to know whether this will have an impact on yields. It is especially the burnt meadows which are having difficulty recovering. The rains of recent days will help them regenerate. But for this, I have to bring my cows in earlier to avoid damaging the meadows. »
Will he be able to change his way of farming and no longer, or less, plow the fields? “No, I’m a believer in plowing. I don’t plan to change things. With plowing, the land is more aerated, the soil is alive, weeds and diseases are buried, the earth is cleaner. »
The discourse is quite similar on the side of the Peasant Confederation. Nicolas Clair, breeder of laying hens, declares: “I respect those who practice no-till. They are innovators. This is a way of doing things that requires a lot of technique, not all floors are suitable for this. »
“Planting later, with warming, poses no problem”
And to add that “everything is not white or black. Not plowing promotes life in the soil, that’s the virtuous side. But it also allows certain farmers to significantly increase the surface area of their farms, thanks to the saving of time and work. We must not forget that it is especially for large areas without plowing that glyphosate is still tolerated. Plowing allows for better management of weeds and soil structure.”
Regarding the delay in plowing, nothing exceptional according to him: “There is a delay, it’s true, but nothing very impactful. Planting later, as the weather warms up, poses no problem. On the contrary, we avoid aphids in the fall and frost in the spring for the plants.”
He also admits a problem for the meadows: “Those who plant rye grass (Editor’s note: a fodder plant), they had to sow, and the farmers had to use a lot of plows and consume a lot of fuel. »
[ad_2]
Source link
