KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE
Gavin Reade, pictured with his 12m Speedtiller Powerflex ®
“We use the Speedtiller Powerflex ® on our pasture paddocks to incorporate trash. We found it to be very user friendly and easy to adjust as our topsoil is shallow with limestone underneath. It has helped with better seed germination in conjunction with running livestock and has helped with better trash flow when seeding as we are trying to maintain as much ground cover as possible.” He claims the key to success on the family farm is simplicity. “We keep things simple,” he says. “We currently operate a two-year rotation of cereal crop and pasture and are looking to make it a three-year rotation of wheat, barley and pasture in our better country. “We run a reasonably low risk operation and weed resistance is not a problem at present.”
Gavin Reade, Curramulka, SA
Gavin Reade and his family are 5th generation farmers who continue to farm at Mount Rat. Situated just 10km west of Curramulka on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, the family farm is currently operated by Gavin, his parents David and Pam, and his wife Emma and their two sons, Lachlan (16) and Christian (14). The Reade family run a mixed farming operation of cereal cropping and merino sheep, with their busiest times being May (seeding), August to September (weaning lambs and main shearing), and November to December (harvest). One of the major challenges faced on the farm is Rhizoctonia in the cereal crops. This is effectively combatted using the Speedtiller’s unique scalloped discs to help crack the hard pan. Another challenge
faced is snails, both round and conical. This is managed by cabling throughout the hot days in February and March to knock the snails off the vegetation and onto the hot ground. A bonus of the Speedtiller ® has enabled the family to have further control over these pests by burying and baiting them. Gavin saw the opportunity for ground prep in the Speedtiller ® , a machine that would be able to incorporate their medic-based pasture trash as well as level out sheep tracks to move away from burning. As well as running a 12m Morris concept 2000 with atom jet points, and a 7230 Case header with a 12m front, the family currently uses a 12m Speedtiller Powerflex ® , after upgrading from the 9m Speedtiller ® .
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