Controlled traffic farming - From worldwide research to adoption in Europe and its future prospects

Abstract

Controlled traffic farming is a machinery management system that confines all field vehicles to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. It has developed in response to research evidence of widespread soil damage from compaction due to field traffic. The history of research on soil compaction is explored and found to be a relatively new phenomenon. Controlled traffic farming as a topic for research did not appear until the 1980s although its principles and benefits were well established before then. Research expanded over the next decades but changed subtly to more reviews on the topic as well as emphasis on environmental deliverables and some economics studies. Few if any researchers attempted to develop on-farm systems using existing machinery until the mid 1990s when a small and dedicated team in Australia encouraged farmers to experiment. This quickly led to rapid expansion across the continent to its present day c. 13% of the cropped area. Despite changes to extension services in northern Europe at around the turn of the century and a move to subsidiarity, this did not alter the model of controlled traffic adoption. This followed a similar pattern to that in Australia involving individuals rather than organizations.