Vegetable farmers are ready for Controlled Traffic Farming, but they lack machines developed to run always in the same place and not all over the fields. That was the conclusion of a CTF Europe seminar held at Samsø during midsummer.
The participants at the seminar.
Experiences from practice
The participants at the seminar exchanged ideas and they saw Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) demonstrated in the field. The host of the seminar was Jens Kristian Kjeldahl, who last year changed to CTF on 3 m beds for his production of potatoes, onions, cabbage, celery and pumpkins.
Jens Kristian showed the investments made to grow on 3 m beds. Several machines were built or modified in the farm workshop. Now after one year the effects of an improved soil structure are already clear. The crops are more uniform and of high quality. The yield levels are also encouraging.
On the last day of the seminar the participants visited the Månsson farm at Brande in Jutland. The production is primarily lettuce, onions and cabbage. Seasonal CTF was implemented four years ago. Experiences have been very good. “It is just so much easier, when the beds are straight and they are positioned exactly in the same place every time” was the comment of Axel Månnson, owner of the Månnson farm. Now they seldom see bad looking plants in the outer rows of the beds.
The participants included vegetable and potato growers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK and the main vegetable growing area of Tasmania, Australia.
Flexible machines wanted
The wheels on increasingly heavy agricultural machines are often located to spread loads over as large an area as possible. The field may then look level after harvest, but intensive soil tillage is needed to try to repair the damage before the next crop is sown or planted. For CTF production the wheels need to be aligned to as few and as narrow tracks as possible.
There was a big wish among the participants for good, wide and flexible machines - machines that can be used for multiple operations. At the Kjeldahl farm they have built several machines themselves. This included a planter suitable for ordinary and sprouted potatoes and onion sets. Next on the wish list is a flexible harvest machine for lifting potatoes and for harvesting onions and other crops.
Machinery width standards
3 metre wide beds are flexible because they are suitable for crops grown at all traditional row spacings from 10 to 100 cm. With 3 m beds, the track width of the machines is 3.2 m to avoid harming the outer rows. This is the main standard in the Netherlands, where the majority of CTF vegetable farmers are located but a 1.5 m track width is also used. In Tasmania 2 m is the most common standard.
The participants would like to order tractors with a warranty for track widths up to 2.5 m. This may not be too difficult to achieve but a category ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 m is also needed and not only for large tractors. Many operations only require a small or medium sized tractor.
In the CTF Europe group we are working together with our Australian partners to encourage tractor manufacturers to add wide track widths to their specifications. In the future it should not be a task of the individual farmer to rebuild tractors for a wide track.
In the right column you will find ”More Information” with a document containing photos and further conclusions from the seminar.
For an introduction and detailed information on CTF – please visit CTF homepage. In the group we welcome anybody with an interest in Controlled Traffic Farming.
Benefits from CTF in vegetable production
Uniform crops and increased yields
Variations in crop quality often originate from poor soil structure caused by soil compaction.
Trials in different crops show yields increased by between 5 and 15% when compaction is avoided.
Reduced use of fuel
Savings in fuel use are mainly caused by easier and reduced soil tillage.
Improved drainage
When layers compacted by traffic are avoided, drainage can be improved significantly.
Increased water availability
In non compacted soils water infiltrates more easily and there is more room for it to be stored. Also, improved root growth will search a larger volume of soil for water.
Improved nutrient supply
Improved root growth will search a larger volume of soil for nutrients. Loss of nitrogen through denitrification is often less in non-compacted soils.
Improved accessibility
Firm tracks in the fields mean that tractors can drive under conditions that would normally cause harmful soil compaction. Excessive rain will often be less harmful to CTF fields because water seeps into the non-compacted beds more easily.
Reduced Greenhouse Gas emissions
Dutch measurements in vegetables show an average 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from CTF compared with traditionally grown crops. The reduction is mainly caused by less emission of nitrous oxide, an exceptionally damaging greenhouse gas.
