Controlled Traffic Farming Productivity, sustainability and resilience

Outcome – better farming systems.

My proposition – for mechanised CA, do controlled traffic FIRST

Dr Don Yule

1www.ctfsolutions.com.au

What is a farming system? • Everything the farmer does• Involves the farm and the farmer

1. Controlled traffic 2. Designed field layouts3. No cultivation4. New spatial technologies5. Measure to manage tools6. Triple bottom line Outcomes

Mechanised Cropping

2

Manage machineryPermanent wheel tracks and matching

machinery

1. Perfect job every time2. Zonal management – wheel tracks,

rows, and inter-rows 3. Soil health (compaction); efficiencies 4. Everything is easier with Controlled

Traffic

1. Controlled Traffic

3

Perfect job, zonal management

Controlled Traffic

Outcomes: soil health, efficiencies

4

• Use controlled traffic as the drainage system – down hill, prevent runoff concentration

• Manage erosion and waterlogging

• Outcome – Landscape health

2. Designed field layoutsCT in the landscape

5

Waterlogging controlCTF Layout using 1m pixel imagery and GPS topo

2004. Waterlogging, loss $56,000 2006. After drainage, cost $3,000.

6

CTF Response to severe erosion event

1997

TRADITIONAL 100t/ha

CTF 10t/ha

7

Erosion control

• Accurate Spraying – no misses, no overlaps• Access and timeliness• Standing residue, inter-row sowing

• Outcomes – residue management, soil health

3. No cultivation and Controlled Traffic

8

Biological soil health

Responses to these realities

9

Controlled traffic allows standing residues and inter-row sowing

• Controlled Traffic needs accurate guidance • Perfect match with 2cm GNSS auto-steer• Controlled Traffic with guidance provides

2cm accurate spatial footprint

• Outcomes – access to and use of spatial technologies

4. New spatial technologies

11

Base station

Radio

Rover/tractor

GNSS antennae

A

B

GNSS Guidance

12

CTF and GNSS define the on-farm spatial footprint

13

• 2cm spatial footprint allows automated, digital, computer based data collection and records

• Satellite, aerial or proximal 1m resolution remote sensing, yield monitoring, GIS

• Internet access with mobile phones – from machine to computer anywhere

• Automated on-farm R&D with strip trials

5. Automated Measure toManage tools

14

• Relevant data to assess farming system performance and farmer management

• “Measure to Manage”

• Accurate, accessible and spatial farm records at appropriate scales

6. Farming System Outcomes

15

6. Farming System Outcomes Rainfall Use Efficiency

16

CTF21t

8tTRAD

6. Farming system Outcomes Rainfall Use Efficiency

Pre-beds4.4 kg/ha/mm

Post-beds11.6 kg/ha/mm

17

6. Farming System OutcomesTriple bottom line benefits

Bowman (2008) studied 16 farmers and change on 4,250 ha, Darling Downs

• Soil erosion less by 195,000 tonnes/year (-90%)• Diesel use from 338,000 to 130,000 L/yr (-60%)• Nitrogen leaving farms from 119 to 9 t (-90%)• Carbon dioxide loss from 1,199 to 373 t (-70%)• Labour from 4,590 to 1,744 hours (-60%)• Annual income $1,652,500 to $2,386,230 (+44%)• Gross Margin $547,279 to $918,366 (+68%)

18

For mechanised CA, do controlled traffic FIRST