Code
A11
Sector
Agriculture
Other sector(s)
Forest
The complete description of the NWRM
Summary

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is a system which confines all machinery loads to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. Current farming systems allow machines to run at random over the land, compacting around 75% of the area within one season and at least the whole area by the second season. Soils don’t recover quickly, taking as much as a few years. A proper CTF system on the other hand can reduce tracking to just 15% and this is always in the same place. CTF is a tool; it does not include a prescription for tillage although most growers adopting CTF use little or none because soil structure does not need to be repaired. The permanent traffic lanes are normally parallel to each other and this is the most efficient way of achieving CTF, but the definition does not preclude tracking at an angle. The permanent traffic lanes may be cropped or non-cropped depending on a wide range of variables and local constraints.

Illustration(s)

 

Tractor applying the principle of CTF

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/landline/stories/s652276.htm

Possible benefits with level
Benefits Level
BP2 - Slow runoff
High
BP6 - Increase infiltration and/or groundwater recharge
Low
BP7 - Increase soil water retention
Medium
BP8 - Reduce pollutant sources
Medium
BP10 - Reduce erosion and/or sediment delivery
Medium
ES6 - Groundwater/aquifer recharge
Low
ES7 - Flood risk reduction
Medium
ES8 - Erosion/sediment control
Medium
ES9 - Filtration of pollutants
Medium
PO7 - Prevent surface water status deterioration
Low
PO9 - Take adequate and co-ordinated measures to reduce flood risks
High
PO12 - More sustainable agriculture and forestry
Low
PO14 - Prevention of biodiversity loss
Low

Case studies per NWRM