Ultra-High Pressure Water Jet technology has a number of industrial applications in product manufacturing. The technology uses water pumped through specialised nozzles at ultra-high pressures (50,000-60,000 psi) to create a high powered jet that can be used to very accurately cut through a broad range of materials ranging from steel to carrots. Researchers from the South Australian No Till Farmers Association (SANTFA) have been investigating the potential for this UHP Water Jet technology, termed AquaTill, to be retro-fitted to planting equipment for the purpose of cutting through fallen stubble that would otherwise obstruct the passage of the planting tynes through the soil surface. Compared to a standard cutting disc fitted to many planters for this purpose, AquaTill provides the advantage of cleanly cutting through stubble, eliminating the occurrence of trash ‘hair pinning’ during the planting operation.

Demonstrations of AquaTill in northern NSW by the SANTFA at field days during 2016 piqued the curiosity of a number of cotton growers who expressed an interest in seeing this technology tested for its potential to be used as an alternative method of cotton termination for traditional root cutting.

Root cutting is a commonly deployed crop destruction technique whereby two opposing and overlapping discs are drawn at ground level through the crop and used to cut through the main stem below the cotyledon nodes. Ineffective root cutting can occur when equipment is either not well set up or when in-field conditions are variable (un-even ground or stones), resulting in a percentage of plants that are not severed below the cotyledons and consequently grow back as ratoons, presenting a significant challenge for farm hygiene.