TALKING CTFLEADERS IN CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FARMING

Introduction

Horsch has seen strong demand for its larger cultivators and drills but many CTF adopters are looking at smaller widths.

4m to 8m systems are more practical for many farmers. Horsch produces a wide range of machinery from 3m in width that provide a huge amount of flexibility and offer many of the CTF benefits.

Although a smaller width system will have more tracks, a 4m system (see page 6) can reduce wheelings to 30-40% of the farmed area compared to uncontrolled systems which can be as high as 80%. Even at this width there is a significant improvement in soil structure and reduction in establishment costs.

Drills and cultivators for all CTF requirements

CTF: the natural way to farmControlled Traffic Farming is seen by many of its adopters as a natural way to farm. By limiting the movement of heavy machinery to the same tramlines for each and every field operation, soil compaction is confined only to a small percentage of the farmed land.

But a move to CTF brings with it operational issues, primarily focused on machine and track widths. From combine header widths and combine auger lengths, machines running on tracks versus wheels to RTK networks and wide-span tractors of the future, the list of equipment required for the ‘ideal’ controlled traffic farming setup can

seem prohibitive. However, many farming operations are already seeing the benefits of moving to CTF with immediate rewards in lower machinery, running and inputs costs with the promise of improved soil structure and higher crop yields to come.

Horsch founder and CEO, Michael Horsch, has been a pioneer in CTF on his own farm in Czech Republic. A farmer as much as he’s an innovator and an engineer, Michael has adopted CTF across the whole of his 3150 acre farm.

The knowledge and experience gained has transferred back to

Horsch’s development team, enabling us to become a leader in controlled traffic farming.

Our comprehensive range of drills and cultivators up to 12m allow CTF operators to develop their farming systems on proven products. In Talking CTF, we speak to farmers who have made the move to CTF, how they did it and what they have achieved. I hope you enjoy the read.

Kind regards,

Stephen Burcham, Horsch UK

Left: typical field traffic without CTF.

Right: reduced

wheelings with CTF

in place.

Pronto drills are available in 3m to 12m widths for smaller CTF systems.

Benefits of CTF

Good for soils, good for the environment, good for your business...

Tim ChamenCTF Europe

CTF Europe provides training and consultancy for the implementation of controlled traffic farming systems.

More information can be found at www.controlledtraffic farming.com and www.ctfeurope.eu

Membership benefits include;n Contact details for all

our membersn Preferential rates at all our

workshops and meetingsn Access to calculators for

tracked areas of different controlled traffic systems

n Potential yield increase calculator based on tracked areas

n Return on investment calculator for satellite guidance systems

n Case studies of farms with CTF systems

n Access to menu driven route to CTF conversion

n Workshop reports and presentations

n New pertinent research and development

n Free one hour of telephone consultancy

Growers know that driving on soil with heavy machinery causes damage, and particularly in wet conditions. Without traffic, soil behaves differently – it is at once more friable, it requires little or no tillage and its structure gets better year after year.

CTF cuts down on compaction by confining wheels or tracks to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. Satellite guidance systems using RTK make this relatively easy to achieve and they add a lot of other benefits besides.

Controlled traffic “beds” yield about 15% more (averaged across 15 crops) than randomly trafficked soils and when these beds cover about 80% of a field, there is a great deal to gain in terms of yield. This comes from improved root growth that uses water and fertiliser more efficiently, so it is also good for the environment.

The other good news is that changing to CTF can often be

achieved with standard equipment; it just needs some clever thinking and planning!

The more effort that’s put into planning, the lower the costs. Other than the guidance system (which often pays for itself anyway), there is likely to be a negative cost because farmers converting to CTF sell a lot of their equipment and invest in lower powered tractors! 15% more profit and 20% reduction in machinery costs have been recorded.

There are a wide range of economic and practical benefits including more reliable spring sowing and direct drilling. Fuel use for crop establishment drops by at least 35%, while CTF adopters can expect time and energy for crop establishment to be reduced by around 70%. In addition, machinery costs are reduced as lighter machines with less power are needed. There is more reliable field access on firm traffic lanes and no under- or over-lap for all operations.

Tim Chamen from controlled traffic farming specialists, CTF Europe, highlights the numerous and significant benefits of changing to CTF.

CTF is good for soils and cropsn CTF improves crop health and yieldsn CTF allows soils to recover their natural structuren with CTF soils can be worked more easily

CTF helps the environmentn reduced greenhouse gas emissionsn improved water infiltration, storage and drainagen reduced water run-off, erosion and flash flood riskn reduced chemical lossesn conserves organic matter and soil fauna

CTF reduces production costsn fewer and less intensive cultivationsn smaller and less powerful machinesn less wear and tearn lower fuel consumptionn decreased labour input

The largest CTF operation in Europe?

Agrovation, a 3150 hectare farming operation based Kněžmost in the Czech Republic, is run in its entirety using 12m controlled traffic farming. Could this be the biggest operation of its kind in Europe?

For six weeks, Horsch invited farmers from around the world to visit Agrovation, based 50 miles northeast of Prague and owned by the Horsch family. While the farm exclusively uses Horsch drills, cultivators and sprayers, the focus of the customers days was on efficient farming practices and good soil management.

The majority of the farm, almost 3,000 hectares, is arable land, the rest being dominated by grasslands, which are used for the production of feed for livestock.

Crop production is mainly focused on oil seed rape, wheat and corn. Oil seed acreage ranges from 640 to 700 hectares, with around 1,200 hectares of wheat and approximately 1,000 hectares of corn. The crop

operating CTF across the farm and its impact on product development.

production team currently totals 15 including the production manager. Average arable field size is 21.86ha and with grassland at 5.17ha.

Michael Horsch (below left) discusses with farm visitors the benefits he is hoping to achieve by

Reducing wheelings to 15%During the 2014 Horsch Seminar, Michael Horsch outlined his intention to use CTF on his farm to reduce wheelings to less than 15% of the ground covered.

Mr Horsch described how all of the farm’s equipment is moving to tracks with tramlines 3m apart for a CTF system based on 12m centres. Tracks allow the machinery to effectively roll along a ‘board’ with

compaction forces transmitted straight down. Even wide tyres push soil sideways causing ridging and lateral compaction. Although CTF requires far more discipline, the reduction in wheelings is dramatic, effectively creating a network of ‘roads’ across the farm.

Mr Horsch noted that his sons are investigating the possibility of a ‘sat-nav’ style approach to using the tramlines as ‘roads’ for efficient movement around the farm.

Adopting CTF at Agrovation

The whole of Agrovation is digitally mapped and is covered by a highly accurate RTK network.

Before CTF was introduced, tramlines ran in multiple

directions across the fields, clearly seen here.

Implementing CTF on a 3150 hectare farming operation required careful planning. All of the farm’s equipment operates on tramlines 3m apart with a CTF system

based on 12m centres. The orientation of the tramlines minimises headland operations and deviations due to in-field obstacles, such as electricity pylons.

The advantage of tracks! A wheeled Titan chaser bin unloads into a tracked version after sinking.

Aerial photography shows a line of electricity pylons

running across the top of the field. There are many

passes from top to bottom.

Following the adoption of a 12m CTF regime, there are now fewer passes and far less headland traffic.

By orientating the tramlines to run across the field in

line with the pylons, there is far less disruption to field operations such as spraying.

All machines run on tracks 3m apart to minimise compaction. RTK is essential for accurate steering.

The adoption of a 12m system places the combine far from the chaser bin. An

auger extension ensures the Titans stay on the tramlines.

Reduction in compaction. Soil from the tramlines is hard and compact compared to the well-structured, aerated soil in the crop.

The new CTF tramlines can be seen as a 12m Joker

cultivator makes its pass.

CTF systems at differing widths

The 4m systemA combine harvester with a 2m track and a 6m header works in conjunction with a 4m cultivator and 4m drill on a 1.8m track width. Although track widths are not identical, machine centres line up on each 12m repeat to minimise wheelings, with the sprayer tramlines following a set of cultivator tracks. Using this system, wheelings should be 30-40% of field area.

While many CTF adopters are using a 12m system, other systems are possible and can accommodate multiple width machinery. Some examples are shown here.

The 8m systemA combine harvester with a 3m track and a 8m header works in conjunction with a 8m cultivator and drill on a 2m track width. With a common 8m width, machine centres are the same with harvester tracks sitting outside the drill wheelings. Sprayer tramlines follow a set of cultivator tracks. Using this system, wheelings should be 20-30% of field area.

The 8-12m system with common tracksWith combines, cultivators, drills and sprayers all working on common track width and spacing, wheelings are kept to a minimum. The system can be used with 8m or 12m passes, with the sprayer operating 24m or 36m passes using the same tramlines.Using this configuration, wheelings should be 15-20% of field area using an 8m system and 15% or lower using a 12m system.

For many CTF adopters, the process is usually incremental and takes into account the scheduled replacement of machinery and changes in field operations.

Tim Chamen from CTF Europe suggests that with careful planning, CTF can be put in place on any scale and at low cost.

Quick tips for CTF adoption1 Carry out a review of your cropping2 Decide the machinery needed to grow these crops with CTF 3 Measure up these machines to see how they fit together4 Plan an appropriate CTF system that minimises conversion costs. Things to consider: - guidance system to be used (if satellite, needs to be RTK) - what machines need to be changed or sold - timescale and rotation entry points - field layout and traffic orientation - what you will use for periodic infilling of the wheel tracks

Jeff Elston

Jeff ElstonBedfordshireSprinter 9 SW

For Jeff Elston, moving to controlled traffic farming is a journey that started eight years ago when the estate introduced GPS guidance for its tractors and combine.

“We were one of the first to install an RTK base station. This gave us two major benefits: a high degree of accuracy for field operations and repeatability,” explains Jeff.

Farming 930ha of arable crops as part of a 1300ha estate in Bedfordshire, Jeff sees controlled traffic farming encompassing a range of technical and operational elements, such as GPS guidance, autosteer and consistent field traffic patterns, as well as the desire to reduce wheelings.

“Using GPS steers you towards a mindset of precision and control and the benefits that brings. The lack of overlaps when drilling and spraying reduces costs in seed and fertiliser while fewer passes reduces fuel and time costs.

“I set the AB lines on the farm’s central computer and this information is then used as the tracks for all machinery field operations. It removes the guesswork for operators

and we’ve seen a 25% improvement in efficiency. That’s from improved output as well as reducing wearing parts and inputs, such as diesel,” says Jeff.

The move to GPS guidance also reduced soil compaction. “We have an enormously varied range of soil types from blue clay to green sand, but we’ve seen improvements in soil structure, water filtration and worm activity across the farm.”

By setting the machinery paths, Jeff was already to controlling farm traffic so the move to full CTF was more of an incremental step brought about by placing machinery on common track widths. Jeff purchased

a 9m Sprinter SW two years ago to take over drilling duties for wheat, OSR, barely and cover crops that grow on the farm.

With the drill and combine now matched for width, Jeff ’s first step was to remove a set of wheelings.

“We operate 36m tramlines for the sprayer, so our other machines fall into that structure. This means we use the same tramlines for multiple operations to further reduce soil compaction and improve its structure.”

Greater yields from healthier soil are something that Jeff admits will take time but he’s already seeing other operational benefits. “The tramlines are now rock hard which means no sinkage even in wetter conditions that would otherwise make the field inoperable.” After two seasons with the Sprinter 9 SW, Jeff has been pleased with the results.

“The key factors in its purchase was the ISOBUS compatibility and the variable seed rate, which I see as one of the most important aspects in improving crop yield. By controlling seed rate, you get a more consistent

crop from more consistent soil moisture levels.

“At the end of the day, all field operations whether CTF or variable seed rate are aimed providing crops the best environment to grow in,” Jeff concludes.

“ The tramlines are now rock hard which means no sinkage even in wetter conditions that would otherwise make the field inoperable ”

The variable seed rate of the Sprinter SW was a key purchase factor for Jeff Elston.

Tom Banks

Tom BanksNorthantsJoker 12 RT, Sprinter 12 SW

For Tom Banks, farm manager at Courteenhall Estate in Northants, the move to CTF is a strategy intended to deliver both short-term and long-term benefits.

“Controlled Traffic Farming will enable us to lower our establishment and cultivation costs and, as the benefits of reduced field compaction take effect, improve our crop yields through better soil structure and healthier soil biology. I see CTF as good farming practice,” explains Tom.

Tom is investing heavily in the farm’s arable operation, which currently covers 850ha of its own land plus a further 250ha of contract agreements, but it is return on investment that drives his decisions.

“We can identify costs across the whole establishment to harvest process and see where savings can be made. The move to CTF on a 12m system required new kit but the forecasted long-term savings will easily cover the investment costs. For example, our 12m Joker means no deep cultivation and we can incorporate in one or two very fast passes, which means savings in labour, fuel and in wearing parts.”

Compared to the original system, Tom has seen a 40% saving in labour, fuel costs and a considerable drop in wearing parts costs per hectare. “We only need to go two inches into the soil to stimulate blackgrass, unwanted weeds and get volunteers to germinate plus creating a friable tilth at the same time. I think of it as non-recreational cultivations

and encouraging our soils and the biology within them to do the hard work for us.”

In addition to machinery purchases, the estate has also invested in its own RTK network allowing it to operate accurately within a 12-mile radius of the home farm. “We cover

this area with just two repeaters out of a possible nine, giving us room to extend our RTK coverage over a very wide area. The network complements the Joker and 12m Sprinter drill providing us with a great service which we would like to pass on to other local land owners. We currently have enough capacity in our establishment equipment to comfortably manage up to 5000 acres.”

Although the estate’s move to CTF only began in the past season, Tom has already reduced stubble-to-stubble operational costs down to around £220 per hectare. As the next stages of his CTF strategy come into play, and as more contract work is taken on, the costs per hectare should dilute further. “We are in the final stages of replacing our

combine. The new tracked Lexion will provide a true 12m working width. The inclusion of a folding auger extension, designed by Horsch and provided by Claas, gives enough reach to unload in to a Titan chaser bin we are planning to add. This may also run on tracks. It’s a system I witnessed at Michael Horsch’s farm, all running at a 3m track width within a 12m system.”

A little further down the line, Tom intends to build field bins for the Titan to unload in to and replace the sprayer with a Horsch Leeb PT 330 also running on a 3m track width. Tom estimates that field traffic could be as low as 15% of field, with tracked machinery reducing compaction on high traffic headlands.

“As we simplify and reduce the number operations required throughout the year, we will continue to see improvements in efficiency. Once all the elements are in place, I’m forecasting a 10-15% increase in yield and a 35% drop in costs over the previous system.”

“ Once all the elements are in place, I’m forecasting a 10-15% increase in yield and a 35% drop in costs over the previous system ”

Joker 12 RT allows Tom to incorporate in one or two very fast passes.

Tom Banks image courtesy of CPM

James Peck

Since 2010, James Peck has been researching and developing his CTF strategy. Awarded the Nuffield Farming Scholarship for six-month research project that took him to Australia, Argentina and the USA, James was determined to bring what he learned back to the UK to improve productivity and efficiency.

“During my time in Australia and the US, I saw the benefits that CTF brings to farming. Improvements in machine efficiency, reduced input costs and better soil structure means an 18% to 20% increase in yield for no additional costs. That’s pure profit,” enthuses James.

With 5670 acres of cultivated land under P.X. Farms’ stewardship, James prides himself on running an efficient operation. Wheat, winter and spring barley account for around 60% of the land while mustard, OSR, sugar beet, spring peas and beans make up the rest. All land starts with a digital mapping followed by subsoiling, cleaning up ditches and hedgerows

before the CTF wheelings are set in place.

A 12m Joker cultivator is the final piece in P.X. Farms’ 12m system. “Although we started in 2010, we have only run 100% CTF across the farm for the past three years, changing each piece of machinery at practical intervals. Over the past three years we’ve seen the farms’ soil structure improve greatly with more worm activity and crops advancing earlier,” he explains.

“We actually run an 11.9m system as our combine header will not straddle a full 12m width but this actually ensures small, consistent overlaps that allows us to work quickly and thoroughly. Even if we move to a 12.3m header I think I’ll keep the same system,” says James.

While in Australia, James observed the practice of lifting the intermediate wheelings each season. “Australian farmers face

the same problems with rye grass as we do with black grass. By cultivating and drilling the 12m and 24m wheelings, but leaving the 36m sprayer tramlines, we can chit the blackgrass and provide competition to keep it under control. It’s also useful when the wheelings are becoming too deep.” To achieve this, James

has modified his Joker with wheel eradicators that can be lifted.

P.X. Farms offers a complete farming, storage and transport solution. Key to this offering is two Titan chaser bins, essential for keeping the combines running at capacity. “CTF has improved productivity across the board. In fact, we had a bottleneck loading crop onto the lorries. A second Titan chaser bin has enabled a 20% increase in productivity across the two combines, effectively alleviating the need for a third combine,” says James.

“We can easily load 160t per hour into waiting lorries. The operators are key to the harvesting operation – dictating which direction the combines cut the field, when they should unload and where the seven lorries that run grain back to the central store are parked. This keeps the grain moving without any delays.”

The Titan’s telescopic axle allows the track to be quickly adjusted. To ensure wheelings in the field are kept as narrow as possible, the width between the inside edges of tyres or tracks for all P.X. Farms’ machines is set at 1.8m. This was the spacing that all the machines on the farm could run at without special modifications, apart from a John Deere 7530, which had to have spacers fitted. It also ensures machines with wide tyres fit within the 3m limit for road travel.

James Peck (right) CambridgeshireJoker 12 RT, Sprinter 12 SW and a Titan 34 chaser bin

Tom Hawthorne

Tom HawthorneNottinghamshireTerrano, Sprinter 12 SW, Leeb GS 8000, Leeb PT 270

Flawborough Farms manager, Tom Hawthorne, and his team operate a 12m CTF system with RTK-based guidance system. A 12m Terrano cultivator and Sprinter drill complement two sprayers; a Leeb GS 8000 trailed and PT 270 self-propelled.

As with many adopters, moving over to ‘full’ CTF was an incremental process as machines were replaced. “The header on our Claas combine actually had a working width just under 12m but we have now moved to a 12.3m header, the final piece in our CTF puzzle,” he explains.

Tom uses the sprayers to set the wheelings, with both running on identical track widths. Although trailed, the GS 8000 uses gyroscopically controlled steering to ensure it faithfully follows the tractor’s wheels without the need

for steering linkages.

To make the most of the CTF system, the PT 270 is fitted with autosteer to reduce operator fatigue and allow more time to concentrate on spraying.

Tom and his team spray more 1900ha of cereal crops, 404ha on a family farm and a further 1500ha are contract farmed. “Logistics is the most important element in spraying productively,” says Tom. “You can have the most capable sprayers available but if they are not well supplied then time is lost.” To achieve this, Tom’s team operates a Mercedes Unimog U500 with a 5000-litre bowser mounted on it plus a 12,000-litre trailed bowser.

“The sprayers have 8000-litre tanks, however, we only fill them when circumstances allow, such as a particularly large field that requires one mix and when the ground is hard enough to run full.

“We prepare different mixes for different parts of the farm and the Unimog and bowser allows us to keep the sprayers fed efficiently in the field and keep downtime to a minimum,” explains Tom.

Both sprayers sport a 36m boom with alternate quad- and twin-nozzle bodies at 25cm intervals and automatic nozzle switching.

“While the GS 8000 has a tri-fold design, the PT 270 has a double-fold setup. This means fewer wearing parts but also enables the boom to be folded more quickly.

“It is this extra speed and manoeuvrability that gives the PT 270 the edge over the trailed sprayer, particularly in awkward fields where there may be a lot of reversing into corners. The PT 270 also has increased ground clearance that allows it to travel faster in taller crops,” says Tom.

Both sprayers feature the BoomControl system. “It is simply mesmerising to watch it working. The boom hugs the contours of the field.”

Unimog with 5000-litre mounted and a 12,000-litre trailed bowsers keep the sprayers in action.

Tom Hawthorne image courtesy of Geoff Ashcroft

Sprayers

Horsch has updated its self-propelled sprayer with new features to keep it ahead of the competition and meet strict new emissions standards.

New engine and 50kph road speedThe new 285hp 7.7 litre 6-cylinder turbo engine uses Mercedes’ latest AdBlue technology to meet the Tier 4 requirements.

The radiator is now mounted horizontally and the radiator fan is now hydraulically driven and not dependent directly on engine speed. Due to customers’ requests, the road speed has also been increased to 50kph. The PT 280 continues with a proven hydrostatically stepless-hydroshift gear unit and

mechanical axle drive, instead of hydraulics motors, for better traction in hilly terrain. The award-winning BoomControl Pro system offers an exact positioning of the boom while close nozzle spacing, pneumatic nozzle control and an advanced cleaning system complete an impressive package.

New Leeb PT 280 sprayer

BoomControl Pro stays close to the crop

Developed in-house by Horsch, BoomControl Pro uses two fast acting air rams working in opposition to deliver very smooth boom movement.

Gyros and boom-mounted sensors feed data back to an advanced control system that counteracts virtually all yaw and roll. The system offers an exact positioning of the boom, keeping it very close to the

target area even at high speeds and on hilly terrain.

The proportional control allows for smooth movements, which guide the boom smoothly depending on the deviation. The result is rock-steady boom control at less than 40cm above the crop and at up to 30kph. The boom itself is available in nine different configurations and widths from 21m to 36m.

BoomControl Pro wins LAMMA 2015 Innovation Awards

Horsch has won twice at the prestigious LAMMA 2015 Awards. The company’s BoomControl Pro won the show’s top award, Best New Product or Innovation, as well as the Best New Product of Innovation (Mechanical – Crop Production Equipment) category.

“As the UK’s largest agricultural machinery show, the LAMMA awards represent a high standard of technical innovation. The BoomControl Pro system has impressed sprayer customers since its launch and we are delighted to win these important awards, which recognise of the increase in productivity and efficiency that BoomControl Pro offers,” said Stephen Burcham, Horsch UK general manager.

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