Controlled Traffic Farming – From Worldwide Research To Adoption In Europe And Its Future Prospects

Abstract

Controlled traffic farming is a machinery management system that confines all field vehicles to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. It has developed in response to research evidence of widespread soil damage from compaction due to field traffic. The history of research on soil compaction is explored and found to be a relatively new phenomenon. Controlled traffic farming as a topic for research did not appear until the 1980s although its principles and benefits were well established before then. Research expanded over the next decades but changed subtly to more reviews on the topic as well as emphasis on environmental deliverables and some economics studies. Few if any researchers attempted to develop on-farm systems using existing machinery until the mid 1990s when a small and dedicated team in Australia encouraged farmers to experiment. This quickly led to rapid expansion across the continent to its present day c. 13% of the cropped area. Despite changes to extension services in northern Europe at around the turn of the century and a move to subsidiarity, this did not alter the model of controlled traffic adoption. This followed a similar pattern to that in Australia involving individuals rather than organizations.

Mit autonomen Landmaschinen zu neuen Pflanzenbausystemen

“…Verschiedene Systeme wurden beispielsweise in Großbritannien und Dänemark entwickelt (Chamen et al 1994;Pedersen et al 2013) (Abbildung 5). Ein Überblick über die bisherige Forschung bietet Chamen (2014).…”

Research of possibilities for efficient use of wide span tractor (vehicle) for controlled traffic farming

“…Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is a system, which confines all machinery loads to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes [2].…”

“…The world science has already accumulated certain experience in the items of studying and practical implementation of controlled traffic farming [2][3][4][5][6][7]. The technological basis of these systems are wide span vehicles or wide span tractors [8][9][10][11].…”

“…Naturally, an increase in the track width of the latter has a positive effect on the land use indicators in controlled traffic farming, yet it is becoming more problematic technically to design such machines and to automate the control of their movement. Therefore, it is purposeful to increase the track width of wide span tractors to a definite value, which allows having satisfactory land use indicators in controlled traffic farming.The world science has already accumulated certain experience in the items of studying and practical implementation of controlled traffic farming [2][3][4][5][6][7]. The technological basis of these systems are wide span vehicles or wide span tractors [8][9][10][11].…”

Investigation of technological properties of wide span tractors for controlled traffic farming

“…The world science has already accumulated certain experience in issues on the study and practical implementation of controlled traffic farming [3][4][5][6]. The technical basis of these systems are wide span vehicles or wide span tractors [7][8][9][10].Lately, the interest in wide span tractors (vehicles) has essentially increased.…”