Horticultural producers in the Lockyer and Bremer catchments are implementing new farming systems that could see them save up to 40 per cent in fuel costs.

Senior Extension Officer Julie O´Halloran with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) said a recent field day at Kalbar in the Bremer River catchment demonstrated how controlled traffic farming (CTF) was already working for local producers.

"CTF refers to maintaining machinery traffic in the same wheel tracks over consecutive crops," Ms O´Halloran said.

"Soil and productivity improve as crops are not growing in compacted areas, and machinery efficiencies are improved by trafficking permanently compacted wheel tracks.

"DEEDI has been working with CTF Solutions to help producers implement CTF and minimum tillage systems through the Healthy Country program.

"Under a CTF system, producers are achieving savings in not just fuel consumption but also in carbon emissions.

"We estimate that CTF used in vegetable production has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 344kg per hectare per year.

"These savings are due to changes in the number, type and power requirements of machinery operations under a CTF system.

"The use of satellite imagery and topography to identify drainage and waterlogging issues across the farm are other tools helping producers improve farm production.

"By introducing new farming practices such as CTF, we will see not only improved production outputs, but sustainable management of land and our waterways for South East Queensland.

"Some of the horticulture producers from the field day have already indicated they will be looking at a CTF system for their vegetable operations."

Local grower Ed Windley implemented a CTF system last summer and said he was already seeing the results in his bottom line.

"At this stage I´ve had about 15% in fuel savings with most operations, though when you take into account operations I´ve eliminated it is more likely 25%," Mr Windley said.

"I´ve now got greater accuracy in hilling up operations, which means more rows per field and therefore more production.

"I changed the planting configuration of my onions from hills to beds to get consistency in wheel spacing across crops to help with CTF. 

"An additional benefit of this change in configuration was 25% more plants, which we will evaluate at harvest to see the effect on yield and quality.

"Ground operations can also be done days sooner due to increased confidence and knowledge of where the hard tracks are for trafficking following wet weather.

"I also expect there will be some water savings due to improved soil structure and efficiency in drainage and irrigation, but these have not been obvious yet."

For more information on CTF, contact DEEDI on 13 25 23 or visit www.healthycountry.com.au

Media contact: Sacha Kitson, +61 7 3225 1386
sacha.kitson@deedi.qld.gov.au