What is CTF?

P.X. Farms has adopted the CTF farming approach using the same tramlines for machinery – reducing compaction and damage to land and increasing yield. P.X. Farms machinery has been adjusted to a 11.9m axel width and 1.8m >< internal track spacing to take advantage of the below benefits for our customers and the family farm:

  • Less fuel cost (average 12% reduction)
  • Reduces compaction
  • More crops grow (average 18% increase in yield)
  • Better drainage
  • Better soil health
  • Less wear and tear on machinery

Managing Director, James Peck undertook a Nuffield Study in 2010 around CTF and has continued to use this approach for the benefit of his own customers, and family farm over the years.  You can download his study here and watch his presentation here. Discover how P.X. are using CTF to farm potatoes.

Traditional Farming Approach vs Controlled Traffic Farming

As we can see below, using the traditional approach of farming with numerous machinery throughout the year can cause soil damage – dictated here as 86% compaction during 2005-2010:Since changing from Traditional to CTF in 2010, we have benefited from averages of 18% yield increase and 12% reduction in fuel cost – see the image below that shows field traffic using the 11.9 metre axle width:Following a CTF Survey by NIAB at Scotland Farm, Dry Drayton, they determined that soil structure and crop establishment measurements over two consecutive years consistently indicated that the areas with no traffic had increased plant numbers and rates of water infiltration, and lower soil strength and bulk density compared to the drill tramline and interim tramline measurements. Drill tramlines (single pass) tended to have better crop and soil properties compared to the interim tramlines (multiple passes) and even a single pass with farm equipment caused a tighter soil structure to an extent to which negative impacts on crop yield were found.

CTF - the view of lands

As we have continued to use the CTF approach for a number of years now, we also had the advantage of evolving and refining our adoption of CTF further.