TOM ROBINSON said his family made the decision to go controlled traffic five years ago, but added farmers looking to go down the path did not need to convert their entire machinery plant in one fell swoop.
After going zero till, he said the next step for his family business was to go controlled traffic (CTF), but said others would see benefits from simply going zero till.
“Initially I would recommend just getting into zero till however you can, but from there controlled traffic is the obvious next phase,” he said.
In terms of the transition to CTF, he said he did not invest in a sudden overhaul of every piece of equipment on the farm.
“It just happened naturally, as the time for machinery purchases came along we just chose machines that fitted with our CTF system.”
“You don’t have to do anything drastic, just have it in the back of your mind when thinking about any purchases.”
He said there had been yield boosts post going CTF but said one of the most noticeable differences had been the improvement in trafficability in paddock.
“It improves the timeliness of all operations because you can get back into the field faster after rain.”
