No-till Seeding Research What are we presently studying? We are developing no-till seeding methods for roadside flowers in Virginia. Six roadside sites around the state have been seeded with the no-till method this year. Three sites, one in Gloucester, Culpeper and Harrisonburg, were seeded in September of 2000 and then again in April 2001. We are comparing no-till with conventional tillage methods. What plants were sown? Fall 2000 Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) Purple coneflower (Echinaceae purpurea) Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) Long-head coneflower (Ratibia columnifera) Spring 2001 Gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia fulgida var. speciosa) Plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) Garden cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) Annual sunflower (Helianthus annuus) What is the difference between conventional tillage and no-till seeding? The no-till method is different from the conventional method of seeding. For the conventional seeding the existing vegetation is killed with Roundup™ and then the soil is tilled. With the no-till method the vegetation is killed with Roundup™, but the soil is not tilled. The seeder opens a slit in the soil, the seed is dropped into the soil, and then the seed is covered with soil. How did we sow the seed? Two applications of Roundup™ were applied two weeks apart on the existing vegetation on the roadside sites. The vegetation was then mowed and the straw was removed. The site was divided into sections. Half of the area was tilled with a rototiller, broadcast seeded, and then rolled with a garden roller. The other half of the area was seeded with a no-till seeder. How are the fall no-till seeded plants performing? There is little difference between the no-till and conventionally seeded plants six months after sowing. However, it is too early to make conclusions. The crucial data will be collected the end of May. What are we doing this spring? The spring-seeded plants were sown in April 2001. Establishment data will be collected the end of May.