Anyone moved away from CTF?

[clodshopper]

As title, I can see its merits, but question if wheelings are less damaging if randomly spread.
I respect dd advocates but its not for me!!

 

[ace]

If land is run over once in good conditions is it firming or compaction .If its run over 3 times it becomes compacted. We have a lot of 12m tramlines , starting to wonder if they are best spread out.

 

[B'o'B]

As title, I can see its merits, but question if wheelings are less damaging if randomly spread.
I respect dd advocates but its not for me!!

It's probably less relevant on long term DD land than cultivated land to be honest.

 

[Jetemp]

Saw a report a few weeks ago, it suggested that (iirc) that the first pass on in wheeled land causes 60% of the compaction damage, the second pass 20% and the third pass 10% and then after three passes very little extra damage caused by extra wheeling, it also suggested that random wheeling a cover at least 80% of the field with 1 wheeling.

You'll have to forgive me if the figures are quite right, I haven't got my notes to hand, but the trend is correct.

So I can fully understand how controlled traffic could bring substantial savings to growers

The biggest benefit I can see is that you have known roadways within the field that you know will require remedial action and these can be treated accordingly, otherwise you will go treat the whole field to remove all machinery induced compaction.

James

 

[Brisel]

I can't quite see why anyone would move away from CTF unless they were changing the system altogether e.g. to no till or a big expansion in area so different widths. CTF represents a big capital investment in RTK & standardised implement width. I don't agree about spreading wheelings out unless your soil is healthy enough to self repair.

 

[ace]

Figures can be what you want them to be.If I pull a Carrier ,Drill then rolls in good conditions with a crawler on the same wheelings we get 12m tramlines with crop under extreme stress.If at different angles they are barely visible and the crop recovers quickly. This is with no tine behind the tracks ,this maybe the answer not sure. We have not gone for CF it has slowly naturally evolved. Im still not convinced in practice

 

[average farmer]

Farmer nearby has gone ct ths year, on what i've seen (rubber necking) it looks like they've gone back to 12m tramlines but we did grow 4 tonne crops on 12m tramlines a few years ago. If its only every 24m that needs a deep leg pulling through next year thats a big saving.

We had a field a few years ago were bale trailers hammered a couple of tramlines in it but by the time the spring came we could't see were they'd been (claydon drilled)

 

[clodshopper]

This Spring will be make or break for me, the savings are there but so are yellow wheelings!

 

[Fuzzy]

This Spring will be make or break for me, the savings are there but so are yellow wheelings!

What savings are you seeing?

 

[B'o'B]

This Spring will be make or break for me, the savings are there but so are yellow wheelings!

What system are you running? Establishment and CTF. What % do you have as traffic lanes?
Driving around to various meetings the last couple of weeks I've noticed a lot of yellowing wheelings in many fields most of which defiantly were not in CTF, high pre-em loadings are defiantly highlighting compaction this year.
With CTF you have to accept that traffic ways will suffer (hopefully) for the greater good of the field as a whole. Is this is your first year CTF?

 

[clodshopper]

its my 2nd year, of an 8m/24m system. Time and fuel savings associated with establishment are reduced by around 40%. There is some comfort with commodity prices where they are at the moment, but i know my JD colour schemed fields are giving the neighbours something to talk about, not the best scenario on fbt land! Will see how the wheelings recover in the Spring before i jump ship

 

[Will Blackburn]

When you realise that it is the cultivation and not the wheelings that cause the compaction where do you go?

 

[B'o'B]

I guess you have about 20% wheel track area? Did you do any remedial work to the intermediate tracks?

 

[B'o'B]

When you realise that it is the cultivation and not the wheelings that cause the compaction where do you go?

Talk nicely to a select few drill manufacturers?

 

[Will Blackburn]

Talk nicely to a select few drill manufacturers?

Been doing a bit more than talking with JD, bit extravagant on my patch, but we'll see how it goes?

 

[ajd132]

For me CTF is part of the zero till puzzle. It's not a silver bullet. Some soil types probably not worth it but on our heavy clay traffic in a wet harvest (even on ZT) causes issues.

 

[Douglasmn]

I can see this year where I spun on a cover crop mix it has grown away extremely well...except on the combine wheelings. O doubt whatsoever that heavy machinery compacts the land. Surely if you're on a 12m header and 36m tramlines with rtk (or a similar set up) and you're going non inversion then go CTF. If you're ploughing every year then don't see the point, or how it could work. Never seen a 12m plough yet.

 

[ajd132]

If you're cultivating more than an inch or two CTF is a waste of time anyway

 

[B'o'B]

If you're cultivating more than an inch or two CTF is a waste of time anyway

I really don't think you are right there. The more you loosen the soil the more likely subsequent traffic will cause compaction.

 

[Wheatseeker]

If land is run over once in good conditions is it firming or compaction .If its run over 3 times it becomes compacted. We have a lot of 12m tramlines , starting to wonder if they are best spread out.

It's firming until water and roots can't freely get through and then it's compacted.
Would love to see a CTF section on here as there is obviously a lot of debate to be had.