Yield and protein variation within a controlled traffic system

Abstract

Controlled Traffic systems aim to minimise wheel traffic impact on the cropping system. In this study, on-farm research was employed to investigate the impact of several wheel tracks on grain yield and protein in a planter width within a 7-year-old Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) system. This was achieved by using a plot harvester. Results from the study of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and maize (Zea mays) showed lower establishment rates adjacent to wheel tracks, resulting in lower yield and higher protein. Further studies investigating a change to a system with fewer wheel tracks show that reducing the number of wheel tracks appears to have led to increased grain yield.