IS CTF VIABLE FOR VEGETABLE GROWING? NOV... · Sander Bernaerts, specialist advisor at...
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• CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FARMING • THE VEGETABLE FARMER • OCTOBER 2016 www.hortnews.co.uk C C TF can lead to enormous benefits, but getting past the challenges can be tricky, says Tim Chamen of CTF Europe. The advantages are even higher than with combinable crops, but the mis- match of machinery – usually harvesters - makes life very difficult. “For instance many people have onion harvesters which are 15-20 years old,” says Tim. This means that moving over to CTF will be a slow process as it requires large investment in machinery, and so far, there has been a slow response from the manufacturers. “Currently, most growers cannot maintain CTF at harvest, so they have to start from scratch again every year, which compromises the benefits in a big way,” says Tim. “But where it is followed, there is less damage to soil, better water infiltration, and more consistent friability. This helps towards ensuring more even sowing depths, which influences emergence, and ultimately produces more uniform-sized vegetables which are the right size for the customers. The better the soil the better the yield and quality. “We need to encourage more growers to practice CTF and report their results. As more people start to follow the practice, it should encourage the machinery manufacturers to think about some changes to harvesters.” he says. Some growers are moving away from tractors towards a gantry system, he reports. “This can give you greater ability to go in and plough in places where a tractor does not go, so it could prove to be a promising step forward.” CTF for organic vegetable growers Using Seasonal CTF is a key strategy for many organic vegetable growers in the Netherlands according to Sander Bernaerts, specialist advisor at Netherlands-based company Naturim. This is partly because organic growers need to carry out weed control more often than conventional growers, resulting in more frequent travel on the land. To keep on top of weeds, seedbeds are prepared at least twice. Once planting has been done it is followed by harrowing and flame-burning before emergence. “To get the best results, you need consistent track surfaces, so there is an emphasis on effective wheel track management,” says Sander. “Only 10 per cent of the field should be driven on, leaving the other areas with no traffic at all.” However, he concedes, where the lanes go, compaction around the lanes is often a problem. “This is something growers have to work round; some opt for a min-till regime to build soil resilience while others use lighter machinery. It is really all about thinking things through and planning ahead.” He points out that all machines benefit from running on even ground, especially those used for mechanical weed control; bumps and compaction can hinder effectiveness. “Even low-pressure tyres result in differences to soil consistency, so using CTF is a no-brainer,” he says. In addition, where the same lanes are used for planting and all other operations, there is no need to use low pressure tyres; on the contrary, narrow tyres are better, he adds. In the Netherlands the system is used mainly where the growers use multiples of a 1.5m system. For example, bed widths which can be used include: • Potatoes - 4-row - bed width 3m • Onions - 12-row – bed width 4.5m • Onions – 18-row – bed width 6m • Squashes - 3-row – bed width 4.5m • Beetroot - 9-row – bed width 4.5m or often in an onions-system • Carrots - 4-row - bed width 3m. Again however, harvesting equipment which is often not the right size to use the lanes can be a fly in the ointment, he admits. “Some growers have been highly innovative and adapted their harvesting machinery for CTF so all the compaction from the traffic stays within the lanes.” Adapting, rather than buying new models, also helps keep costs down. However, he points out, in many cases vegetable growers still plough the land, which, strictly speaking, is not a CTF procedure. “Ploughing is ploughing and is not CTF. But what we do have is seasonal CTF as all the other operations are done using RTK. This means we can keep to the same tracks as those used in previous years. “The best news is that using the system can start to bring real benefits to organic vegetable growers from the first year.” NZ potato grower’s experience Using CTF for potatoes can save up to 50 per cent of cultivation costs according to New Zealand-based Simon Wilcox, production manager at A.S. Wilcox. This comes from savings made on horse-power, transport to the pack-house and washing the crop. He started using the system on his heavy clay loam soils nine years ago, and found savings were already becoming apparent in the second year. By year two he reports he was 20 IS CTF VIABLE FOR VEGETABLE GROWING? Consistency is crucial to vegetable growers and controlled traffic farming (CTF) is one of the ways which can help them achieve this. Frances Wright speaks to growers in the UK, the Netherlands and New Zealand about establishing and following CTF regimes. Sander Bernaerts. Preparing for planting. Attention to detail is key to success.
Transcript of IS CTF VIABLE FOR VEGETABLE GROWING? NOV... · Sander Bernaerts, specialist advisor at...
•CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FARMING•
THE VEGETABLE FARMER • OCTOBER 2016 www.hortnews.co.uk
CC TF can lead to enormousbenefits, but gettingpast the challenges can
be tricky, says Tim Chamen ofCTF Europe. The advantages areeven higher than withcombinable crops, but the mis-match of machinery – usuallyharvesters - makes life verydifficult.
“For instance many peoplehave onion harvesters which are15-20 years old,” says Tim. Thismeans that moving over to CTFwill be a slow process as itrequires large investment inmachinery, and so far, there hasbeen a slow response from themanufacturers.
“Currently, most growerscannot maintain CTF at harvest,so they have to start fromscratch again every year, whichcompromises the benefits in abig way,” says Tim. “But whereit is followed, there is lessdamage to soil, better waterinfiltration, and more consistentfriability. This helps towardsensuring more even sowingdepths, which influencesemergence, and ultimatelyproduces more uniform-sizedvegetables which are the rightsize for the customers. Thebetter the soil the better theyield and quality.
“We need to encourage moregrowers to practice CTF andreport their results. As morepeople start to follow thepractice, it should encouragethe machinery manufacturers tothink about some changes toharvesters.” he says. Somegrowers are moving away fromtractors towards a gantrysystem, he reports. “This cangive you greater ability to go inand plough in places where atractor does not go, so it couldprove to be a promising stepforward.”
CTF for organicvegetable growers
Using Seasonal CTF is a keystrategy for many organicvegetable growers in the
Netherlands according toSander Bernaerts, specialistadvisor at Netherlands-basedcompany Naturim. This is partlybecause organic growers needto carry out weed control moreoften than conventionalgrowers, resulting in morefrequent travel on the land.
To keep on top of weeds,seedbeds are prepared at leasttwice. Once planting has beendone it is followed byharrowing and flame-burningbefore emergence. “To get thebest results, you needconsistent track surfaces, sothere is an emphasis oneffective wheel trackmanagement,” says Sander.“Only 10 per cent of the fieldshould be driven on, leaving theother areas with no traffic atall.”
However, he concedes, wherethe lanes go, compactionaround the lanes is often a
problem. “This is somethinggrowers have to work round;some opt for a min-till regimeto build soil resilience whileothers use lighter machinery. Itis really all about thinkingthings through and planningahead.”
He points out that allmachines benefit from runningon even ground, especiallythose used for mechanical weedcontrol; bumps and compactioncan hinder effectiveness. “Evenlow-pressure tyres result indifferences to soil consistency,so using CTF is a no-brainer,”he says. In addition, where thesame lanes are used forplanting and all otheroperations, there is no need touse low pressure tyres; on thecontrary, narrow tyres arebetter, he adds.
In the Netherlands the systemis used mainly where thegrowers use multiples of a1.5m system. For example, bedwidths which can be usedinclude:
• Potatoes - 4-row - bedwidth 3m
• Onions - 12-row – bedwidth 4.5m
• Onions – 18-row – bedwidth 6m
• Squashes - 3-row – bed
width 4.5m• Beetroot - 9-row – bed
width 4.5m or often in anonions-system
• Carrots - 4-row - bed width3m.
Again however, harvestingequipment which is often notthe right size to use the lanescan be a fly in the ointment, headmits. “Some growers havebeen highly innovative andadapted their harvestingmachinery for CTF so all thecompaction from the trafficstays within the lanes.”Adapting, rather than buyingnew models, also helps keepcosts down.
However, he points out, inmany cases vegetable growersstill plough the land, which,strictly speaking, is not a CTFprocedure. “Ploughing isploughing and is not CTF. Butwhat we do have is seasonalCTF as all the other operationsare done using RTK. This meanswe can keep to the same tracksas those used in previous years.“The best news is that using thesystem can start to bring realbenefits to organic vegetablegrowers from the first year.”
NZ potato grower’sexperience
Using CTF for potatoes cansave up to 50 per cent ofcultivation costs according toNew Zealand-based SimonWilcox, production manager atA.S. Wilcox. This comes fromsavings made on horse-power,transport to the pack-houseand washing the crop.
He started using the systemon his heavy clay loam soilsnine years ago, and foundsavings were already becomingapparent in the second year. Byyear two he reports he was
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IS CTF VIABLE FOR VEGETABLE GROWING?Consistency is crucial to vegetable growers and controlledtraffic farming (CTF) is one of the ways which can helpthem achieve this. Frances Wright speaks to growers inthe UK, the Netherlands and New Zealand aboutestablishing and following CTF regimes.
Sander Bernaerts.
Preparing for planting.
Attention to detail is key to success.
OCTOBER 2016.qxp_VEG FARMER TEMPLATE 23/09/2016 10:53 Page 20
•CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FARMING•
www.hortnews.co.uk THE VEGETABLE FARMER • OCTOBER 2016
already seeing benefits. He hasfound further benefits, too.Weather at lifting (which inNew Zealand is in the spring)can be wet, so clods tend tostick to the tubers.
Simon explains: “Unlike theUK, we harvest straight intoboxes which we then move tothe pack-house. So when wewere lifting in wet weather wefound we were transporting alot of soil with the tubers. Aswe grow a sunken-eye varietythis meant potatoes needed tobe washed twice, which works
out costly. The good news isthat it is has not been necessarysince we changed to using CTF,and we have made savings inthe pack-house, reducing time,labour costs and water usage.”
The farm operates a rotationof onions, potatoes and cereals,which can cause challengesfrom the different systems:potatoes are grown on a 2-bed,4-row system and the onionsare planted with a 3-bed drill.The way round this is to use themultiples, says Simon. “Oursprayer is on a 9-bed system
which aligns with the wheeltracks for all crops.”
Tractors use GPS for primarytillage and planting, makingclear traffic lanes which arethen kept to throughout theseason. Getting all themachinery aligned to the wheeltracks can be challenging, headmits. This is particularlydifficult with potato harvestersbecause they normally straddletwo rows, he says.
“We thought carefully aboutthe problem and modified aharvester axle to a telescopicsystem.” This extended the axleto straddle four rows. Themouth of the harvester was alsoto one side so the operator liftsthe potatoes on the right handside each time.
“We have found some reallypositive changes in our soils,which now remain friabledespite a tight three-yearrotation of potatoes, onionsand cereals. And preventingdamage at harvest has allowedus to reduce our cultivationintensity,” he says.
Keeping wheel tracks well-maintained is crucial, Simonadds. He finds keeping them
almost like railway lines makesit easier for the tractor operatorto remain in the track. However,the hard ground under wherethe tracks go can causechallenges too.
For example, onions areharvested in January when thesoil can be very dry and hard asit is mid-summer in NewZealand. Loosening the soil onthe wheel tracks is done afterplanting and helps withreducing soil runoff, waterinfiltration and makes it easierfor wheal track maintenancepost-harvest.
The 500ha farm has 40hadedicated to a strict regimen ofCTF which is adhered to all thetime. The main reason behindnot extending the use of CTFacross the whole farm is thatharvesters are not configured torun along these tracks. “It isimpossible to keep to the trackswhen the carrot harvester runsacross the whole paddock,” hesays. Nevertheless, he uses CTF-type practices where possible,such as for cultivationoperations. “It is not perfectbut using CTF where we canstill makes a real difference.”
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CTF can offer advantages for vegetable growers, although axle widths onharvesters may need to be modified.
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