In a first for agriculture in the Bundaberg and Childers region, fruit and vegetable producers and cane growers were introduced to the benefits of controlled traffic farming (CTF) at a special meeting held at Alloway on October 2. 

 

In a joint endeavour by Growcom and Canegrowers’ Isis Target 100, CTF Solutions expert Dr Jeff Tullberg and guest speaker John McPhee of the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, both with extensive experience in controlled traffic in farming production systems, spoke to more than 10 local growers interested in controlled traffic farming technology.

 

Chief Executive Officer for the Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG), David Brown, said the project funded through the National Landcare Programme and administered through BMRG, aims to demonstrate to growers the many advantages of using controlled traffic farming to increase yield and decrease negative impacts on sustainability.

 

“The objective of this project is to work with horticultural and cane growers in the Bundaberg and Childers region who wish to learn more about controlled traffic systems,” Mr Brown said.

 

“Through the use of permanent compacted wheel tracks, and in controlling the amount of traffic in the farming system, we can lead growers to more productive and sustainable farming systems.”

 

Some of the benefits of CTF include a greater depth of healthy soil available to crop roots, better rainfall infiltration and greater water holding capacity, increased nutrient retention, no need for tillage to get rid of wheel marks and soil compaction, more uniform crops - particularly in difficult seasons, and less power and fuel needed for all field operations.

 

Whilst CTF has been the basis for major productivity benefits in irrigated and dryland broadacre farming as a practical method of reducing costs, increasing yields and still achieving better environmental outcomes, it has been less widely adopted in horticultural and cane production systems.

 

The meeting will be chaired by Growcom project officer Robert Doyle and Judy Plath of Isis Target 100, with technical information presented by CTF’s Dr Jeff Tullberg.

 

“Controlled traffic is based on the simple principle that crops grow better in soft soil, and wheels work better on roads, and its advantages have been proven by grain growers,” Mr Tullberg said.

 

“The advantages are just as big in horticulture and cane growing, but the challenges are different - particularly the issues of contract harvesting, haulouts and the greater range of equipment.”

 

Local growers have already recognised the impacts of heavy machinery on yields from compaction restricting root penetration and water infiltration and therefore there has been significant interest in trialling CTF after the successful outcomes of broadacre farming practices.

 

Advances in technology towards precision topographic mapping and satellite imagery have now opened up possibilities for cane and horticultural production.

 

As partner organisations, the Burnett Mary Regional Group, Growcom Bundaberg (Horticulture), Isis Target 100 Group and the CTF Solutions team will be working with a number of horticultural and cane growers in the Bundaberg and Childers region to explore CTF over the next year.

 

“The project should have some interesting outcomes and participating growers have agreed to share their experience of controlled traffic with others,” Mr Brown said.

 

This project is funded by the National Landcare Programme, administered through the Burnett Mary-Regional Group with the assistance of Growcom and the Isis Target 100 Group.