dontknowanything
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The point of CTF is to increase yieldsWhat do you mean when people say CTF won't work?
The point of CTF is to increase yieldsWhat do you mean when people say CTF won't work?
The point of CTF is to increase yields
Not much if you already have RTK and don't want to do it all at once. Much cheaper for someone in no till as well, fewer implements to match up.What do you think it costs to get into CTF?
Also do you know anyone doing silage CTF?
Not much if you already have RTK and don't want to do it all at once. Much cheaper for someone in no till as well, fewer implements to match up.
No, why?
Why would you subsoil the tramlines? The whole point is they will never be growing anything!I was wondering how CTF would work for mixed farms and keeping all the silage or maize kit on the tracks. How would the trailers match up with the forager etc.
I can see the logic if you have RTK but I'd like to see the chaff spreader/chopper move about a bit each year on a combine and also I wouldn't fancy subsoiling the tramlines (not always necessary).
Why would you subsoil the tramlines? The whole point is they will never be growing anything!
Totally wrong you are ignoring Mugs Law which states;C T F all very well in theory . Some have or are spending a fortune in gps and new kit to make it work . When in fact they might be better of using lighter tractors and flotation tyres. I would not want to see chaff put in the same way every year from now on and what happens when a crop has gone down and say combine it at an angle is the best way to harvest it are you going to say we cant do that as we are now ctf and must stay on the same lines .
I think we must look after our soils more and personally i recon treading more lightly is the best way to go . CTF is just part of the machinery manufacturers trying to sell a system that can involve spending a small fortune on their kit. A bit like the mim till kit that has caused more problems over the last 20 years by being more like max till (lift it all ,mix it up put it down .Oh sh!t now we have bad blackgrass etc .
Just an idle thought to pass the time but we are always being told how compaction is an evil yield robber and must be avoided. Some poor deluded sods spend a fortune on constant wheeling because they believe that, but, are we being missled?
Ask yourself this, this year many places have seen the unwelcome return of fusarium and/or take all. Looking at my fields and all the pictures I have seen one thing stands out how any wheelings or old tramlines are much greener and not dying off so quickly. This does make me wonder if that the more compacted ground is a better environment for the plant roots or shurely they would be dying off. If compaction compromises rooting how come the plants are better able to overcome root disesase in compacted areas? Any agronomists out there your views please as it sure fools me (not that that is difficult).
Here's the myth in action, guess where the sugar beet clamp was. View attachment 58808
Not compaction if effect is beneficial...An extreme example, there is no doubt in extreme traffic situations it exists and needs physical repair
however saw this on twiter the other day showing better mang take up in old wheeling
View attachment 58864
Not compaction if effect is beneficial...
It would be interesting to see if there is a way of measuring air in the soil in these poor patches and what that air is made up of and perhaps also what ratio of normal soil minerals are present, after all just because you drag a subsoiler through the ground does not mean you relieve the "tightness" in the whole profile but it does help air inThe correct amount of air I think is a better description, I'm sure this is why surface OM is so important as it maintains that correct balance for you
Is that compaction or a destroyed soil. It doesnt need to be compacted to grow nowt. Most things like that I have seen have been where wheelings were bad and soil pulled about to try to rectify, not the compaction that caused the poor growing but response to.Here's the myth in action, guess where the sugar beet clamp was. View attachment 58808
Nothing done save for drilling. Should have been flatlifted. Interestingly, the peas looked fine for the first couple of months, then just stopped.Is that compaction or a destroyed soil. It doesnt need to be compacted to grow nowt. Most things like that I have seen have been where wheelings were bad and soil pulled about to try to rectify, not the compaction that caused the poor growing but response to.
If you abuse soil for no matter what reason it will damage it and it can be levelled and look good but is still lifeless and will not produce a crop.
my question was not is it possible to make a mess but was 'Compaction' the big bad bogey man the metal sellers have us believe?
Maybe but why bother? Dont seem to be any tangible results as yet, everyone seems to be waiting for them to arrive. I may be wrong and in future years could be massive benefits but I am doubtful, I have seen these trends come and go over the years they come in with a great fanfare and bow out slowly with a fart a few years later and leave you a bit poorer but sometimes none the wiser. What happened to CTF first time around?common misconception that ctf is expensive, the most publicised ctf system is one in cambridge where he obviously went all out and spent a vast sum of money in one year getting his system to work instantly, if you spread it out over 3-4 years as machinery comes up for replacement it shouldn't be too bad. you also don't need guidance in everything, a carting/chasing tractor can just manually drive on the combine wheelings if you want to save some money. i do think you have to be flexible with it. my main worry about it is chaff build up, i don't think a 12m combine will spread chaff the full width and after 5 years you would surly see a build up?