Researcher(s) |
Rohan Wardle (SFS) Jeremy White (DPI) Andrew Whitlock (DPI) |
---|---|
Year(s) | 2007 |
Contributor | Southern Farming Systems |
Trial location(s) |
Shelford, VIC
|
This site was designed to demonstrate the practical implications of implementing Controlled Traffic and
Precision Agriculture practices
The PA Concept Farm gave growers the opportunity to see first hand the difficulties and successes of implementing new and innovative cropping techniques involving PA (Precision Agriculture) and CTF (Controlled Traffic Farming). Although final yields were not of importance due to the nature of the site, various observations throughout the year demonstrated to visitors some of the things to watch for when adopting these tools and practices. The fact that yields were not altered indicate the importance of maintaining dedicated wheel marks all season, and the implications of adding machinery such as that used to bale hay. The site also demonstrated that without amelioration, soil improvement due to reduced compaction can take a number of years to manifest into greater yields.
Weed burdens at the site highlighted the importance of ensuring control in wheel marks, whilst indicating that wider row‐spacing does not necessarily mean increased weeds. The difficulties of keeping seeding equipment tracking straight when precision sowing were also encountered, making for a good discussion with site visitors about the various techniques that can be used to overcome this problem.
Costs of guidance were compared for the site, with $3/ha for line marking using a contractor with autosteer, $190/ha for a contractor to set up a whole paddock with beds and between $20,000 and $50,000 to get one machine setup with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) autosteer including your own basestation.
Lead research organisation | N/A |
---|---|
Host research organisation | N/A |
Related program |
National Landcare Programme |
Acknowledgments |
David and Fiona Stephens for their contribution of time, energy and property. Controlled Traffic Site sponsors: Australian Grain Accumulation, CTF Solutions, EJ & D Stephens, Farm Works Pty Ltd, Gorst Rural Supplies, gps‐Ag, Peak Pastoral Grain Company, RE & JL Knight P/L |
Other trial partners | Not specified |
Crop type | Cereal (Grain): Barley |
---|---|
Treatment type(s) |
|
Trial type | Demonstration |
Trial design | Unreplicated |
Sow date | Not specified |
---|---|
Harvest date | Not specified |
Plot size | Not specified |
Plot replication | Not specified |
# | Variety |
Treatment 1
|
Establishment plants (plants/m2) | Weeds (plants/m2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | █ Gairdner | █ 8" traditional practice | 106 | 45 |
2 | █ Gairdner | █ 8" raised beds with autosteer | 140 | 62 |
3 | █ Gairdner | █ 8" line mark for sowing and visual for rest | 113 | 67 |
4 | █ Gairdner | █ 8" intra-row sowing using autosteer for all | 132 | 63 |
5 | █ Gairdner | █ 8" inter-row sowing using autosteer for all | 125 | 35 |
6 | █ Gairdner | █ 8" autosteer for for sowing then bare wheel/visual for rest | 111 | 50 |
7 | █ Gairdner | █ 8" autosteer for all operations with sown wheel tracks | 79 | 31 |
8 | █ Gairdner | █ 16" line mark for inter-row then visual for rest | 105 | 14 |
9 | █ Gairdner | █ 16" inter-row sowing using auto steer for all | 104 | 30 |
SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.