Moving machinery into a controlled traffic farming system offers a myriad of benefits to farmers, according to NewAg Consulting’s Andrew Newall.
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Mr Newall was one of the speakers at the recent Soils and Technology Information Forum run by Wickham Flower at Bordertown.
He said one of the benefits was allowing farmers to take the maximum advantage of summer rains.
“Other major reasons for moving to controlled traffic farming are better water use efficiency, better seed placement and crop emergence, less weed stimulation and increased nutrient availability,” he said.
“The major benefit is increased yields.”
Mr Newall said he saw controlled traffic farming as a platform for “smart farming” – making the most out of both machinery and rainfall.
“After moving to controlled traffic farming a lot of people talk about how crops hold on a lot better in a dry year, and we saw that last season at Horsham, Vic,” he said.
“On-farm trials are also very easy to run in controlled traffic farming systems, because plots are easily replicated across the paddock.”
Mr Newall said there was an average yield increase of 10-13 per cent on sandy ground after moving to controlled traffic farming, and a 20-30 increase on clay soils.
“Sandy soils are the worst for compaction, and they will take a long time to repair,” he said.
Work done at Rupanyup, Vic, in 2009 showed having no wheel-tracks led to crops yielding 4.6 tonnes to the hectare. By comparison, when a header and boom spray had been run over them, there was a 2.2t/ha outcome.
“Four-year trials undertaken in WA showed a 13pc increase in wheat yields, 12pc increase in canola and 10pc increase in lupins,” he said.
Research has also shown that water infiltration rates from zero till/controlled traffic farming systems went down to 55 millimetres, rather than 20mm on tilled/wheeled systems.
“This means in summer time when you have those heavy rains you’re able to store it, through reducing evaporation rates,” he said.
Mr Newall said costs ranged when switching over to controlled traffic farming.
“I’d say the minimum cost would be $10,000, through to a million dollars,” he said.
“But, it doesn’t have to happen overnight.”
Mr Newall said there were some key things for farmers to ask themselves before moving to controlled traffic farming. They included:
- what is the size of your operation?
- what size is it likely to be in five to 10 years time?
- what type of seeder do you have?
- do you rely on contractors?
- do you have sandhills?
- what labour resources do you have?
* Details: Wickham Flower, www.wickhamflower.com.au.
