1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

OPtimal strategies to retAIN and re-use water and nutrients in small agricultural catchments across different soil-climatic regions in Europe (OPTAIN)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Institute for Soil Sciences, Centre for Agricultural Research (ATK TAKI) - Hungary

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

1.5 Reference to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Approaches (documented using WOCAT)

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

All machinery traffic uses the same lane network within the field to reduce the total compacted area, to improve connections, and to optimise overlapping of following runs resulting in more efficient use of labour and inputs. Risks from environmental pollution are also reduced.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Under controlled traffic farming, all field machinery uses the same lane network within the field. This is to reduce the total compacted area, to improve connections, and to optimise overlapping of return runs, resulting in more efficient use of labour and inputs. Risks from environmental pollution are also reduced. The technology is applied to arable fields.
The main principle is to confine all machinery-earth contact to the least possible area by using permanent traffic lanes. The aim is to minimise the area compacted area while improving connections and optimising the cover of operations (so that, for example, spraying doesn’t double the dose on a portion of the crop). For application of the technology, working widths of machines have to be synchronised to use the same (or multiple) working widths. For keeping directions and parallel traffic precisely Real Time Correction GPS need to be used.
The key benefit of the technology is that the compacted area can be reduced to 15-20% of the field and this is always in the same place. Due to the precision of next/ return runs of machinery, this means more efficient use of time and 15-20% less input materials used. Risk of environment pollution is correspondingly smaller. Under this system, conventional tillage (e.g. mouldboard ploughing) is not possible, only reduced, non-inversion tillage (“no-till”) can be employed. Correspondingly, mechanical weed control may be less effective under this system.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

Indicate year of implementation:

2012

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through land users' innovation

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

• No (Continue with question 3.4)

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

Comments:

distribution of raifall is uneven

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• minimal soil disturbance
• energy efficiency technologies

• soil conservation

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation
• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

Specify currency used for cost calculations:

• USD

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Implementing RTK Navigation System into machinery

Comments:

RTK navigation equipment, connectors (buses), subscription for signal

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Equipment	RTK navigation equipment	pcs	1.0	9500.0	9500.0	100.0
Equipment	connectors (buses)	pcs	1.0	1200.0	1200.0	100.0
Other	subscription for RTK signal	year	1.0	1200.0	1200.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					11900.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					11900.0

Comments:

In the calculated cost the market prices of the equipments were taken into account not the hiring costs.

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

Comments:

no maintanance is needed

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

Comments:

no maintenance is needed

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Reduce compaction on the field, reducing overlapping during application of field work results in saving expenses (by ca. 10-20 %)

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• convex situations

Comments and further specifications on topography:

both convex and concave situations within field

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

Brown Earth (Luvisol), eroded, pH 6,4, no salinity

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

No

5.5 Biodiversity

Comments and further specifications on biodiversity:

arable, grass and forest are mixed in the landscape

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

wife also works for farm business management

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• individual, not titled
• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• leased
• individual

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Income and costs

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Other ecological impacts

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase
annual rainfall		decrease

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
drought	moderately

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• 1-10%

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 51-90%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
less input material is used
less compaction
better water infiltration

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
less environmental pollution

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
implementation of technology needs investment	economical turnover is rapid

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FARMING TECHNICAL MANUAL, Isbister, B. et al., 2013, Department of Agriculture and food, Western Australia, ISBN: 978-0-9923323-03

Available from where? Costs?

available online free of charge: https://www.nacc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/NACC_Controlled_Traffic_Farming_Technical_Manual.pdf

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

Developing a controlled traffic (tramline) farming system

URL:

https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/soil-compaction/developing-controlled-traffic-tramline-farming-system

7.4 General comments

overarching, detailed