Harvest contractors are calling on machinery manufacturers and the farming sector to adopt national standards for controlled traffic farming systems (CTF) based on 3m wheel tracks and 12m farming strips.
Speaking at a CTF conference in Dubbo, NSW, Australian Grain Harvesters Association (AGHA) president Peter Bradley, Benaraby, NSW, said adopting uniform standards would make it easier for header operators to fit their machines to CTF tramline systems.
Harvesters are often the heaviest machines used in farming operations and running them randomly over paddocks creates widespread compaction damage.
But if they and all other machinery movements can be confined to the same, permanent wheel tracks, there are big benefits to be gained from better soil structure, lower fuel demands and potentially higher yields.
Mr Bradley said contract harvesters are happy to comply with CTF layouts, even though running on set tramlines involve more time and expense.
"You use less fuel with CTF but there are longer engine hours and more idle time because of all the stopping and turning," he said.
"If I was farming, I would be on CTF, but it does affect harvest contractors.
"Harvesting on CTF systems is more costly and time-consuming for contractors but it is the way to go."
Mr Bradley, who runs a contract grain harvesting business out of Central Queensland, said 30pc of his business this season would be on farms with CTF layouts.
"We have had to spend additional money to ensure we are CTF compliant."
Australian CTF Association treasurer, Don Yule, Brisbane, said the association was calling on machinery and farming leaders to get together and set national standards for CTF.
"We have to sort it out.
"If you have different machines coming onto your property and the machines don't match (the CTF layout) then it just becomes an unacceptable mess," he said.
"We are advocating that the higher industry leader bodies need to decide on set standard widths for wheels and implements, then the whole industry knows what to do and manufacturers and farmers can make and modify machinery to those standards."
AGHA treasurer, Rod Gribble, Yenda, NSW, said establishing uniform standards for CTF would give operators a benchmark that would help them plan their businesses and maintain viability.
"Contractors and growers alike cannot afford to chop and change at the drop of a hat, nor metamorphose machinery and businesses at the whim of the latest trend," he said.
"Professional contract harvesters, growers, research bodies and machinery manufacturers working together and understanding each other's requirements as to the broad implementation and adoption of CTF, will be of substantial benefit to all."
Mr Gribble said there were substantial costs for contract harvesters setting up or modifying their machines for CTF.
These include:
• Axle extensions at $3000 to $4000,
• Extra heavy duty tyres and rims at $3500 to $4000,
• Differential corrected auto steer at $18,000 to $20,000 and
• Centre-mount frames and unloading auger extensions,
including $40,000 on new fronts and $22,000 on auto steer and mapping.
He said, "Therefore we, as the contractors, need to charge at least $62.50/ha or an hourly rate of at least $715 to make it profitable and to ensure that by being CTF ready we are not making a loss.
"CTF will always cost more - about $15/ha extra because of the time loss."
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