Controlled traffic farming

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is a farming system built on permanent wheel tracks where the crop zone and traffic lanes are permanently separated. It can improve profitability and sustainability, and adoption of CTF need not be a daunting proposition.

Key Points

• Controlled traffic farming (CTF) systems alleviate soil compaction constraints. They can deliver unique operating efficiencies and agronomic opportunities.
• CTF crops are typically higher yielding, and are more resilient in very wet or very dry seasons than those with less controlled cropping traffic.
• In the absence of subsoil constraints, CTF can deliver better water use and fertiliser use efficiencies.
• Costs of conversion to CTF depend on how well your current machinery fits, the length of a transition plan and the capacity to use partial CTF to accommodate existing machinery configurations.
• CTF soils leach fewer nutrients into groundwater, have less water erosion, better infiltration, more controlled run-off and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.