Controlled Traffic Farming - yield potential and effects on soil structure

Today's large and heavy equipment causes soil compaction, which can be minimized by concentrating all traffic to specific locations in the field. The concept is called Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF). Today there is also a strong trend to reduce the cultivation intensity. CTF reduces the need for soil loosening and thus cultivation needs, and leads to lower energy consumption. This, together with cheaper auto steering of tractors, makes more and more Swedish farmers interested in the technology. However, farmers hesitate to invest without an adequate basis for their decision, why this, the only Swedish CTF trial, is valuable. The aim of the experiments is to study the effect of concentrating traffic vs random traffic of otherwise equivalent cultivation system. Trials are run in Skåne and Uppland during at least six years in A)two traditional block trials, B) 1 ha large plots at Lydinge Farm. In the project there will be harvest measurements in and between tracks, soil physical measurements, and economic assessment of the outcome.

Project period: 2010-2017

Project leader: Lena Holm.

SLU collaborators: Johan Arvidsson (SLU, department of Soil and Environment).

Funding: SLF och POS (Precisionsodling Sverige)

Publications:

Lejon, L (2014). Effekt på mark och gröda av olika bearbetningssystem, med och utan CTF. Examensarbeten, Institutionen för mark och miljö, SLU Uppsala 2014. Nr 2014:05.

Andersson, M. (2014). Fasta körspår till framtiden: markstruktureffekter i CTF-odlingssystem. Examensarbete, Lantmästar-kandidatprogram, SLU Alnarp

Arvidsson, J., Holm, L., Lejon, L., Andersson, M. (2014). Fasta körspår – skördepotential och effekt på markstruktur. I: Arvidsson, J. (red). Jordbearbetningsavdelningens årsrapport 2013, nr 128. s. 57-64. SLU, Uppsala.

Arvidsson, J. och Holm, L. (2013). Fasta körspår - skördepotential och effekt på markstruktur. I: Arvidsson, J. (red). Jordbearbetningsavdelningens årsrapport 2012, nr 125. s. 50-53. SLU Uppsala.

Arvidsson, J. och Holm, L. (2012). Fasta körspår - skördepotential och effekt på markstruktur. I: Arvidsson, J. (red). Jordbearbetningsavdelningens årsrapport 2011, nr 121. s. 57-61. SLU Uppsala.