We will visit the Kjeldahl vegetable farm that has implemented Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) and Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) in vegetable crops as well as in the rotational arable crops.
The Trip will start at 8:15 from "Musikhuset" in Aarhus. We will return to Aarhus before 18:00.
The Island of Samsø
With the mild coastal climate, the Island of Samsø has optimal conditions for the production of fruit and vegetables. Farmers on Samsø are every year the first to supply new Danish potatoes to the Danish market. A holiday on the Island will often be on a bike and tasting the freshness of Samsø produce is an important part of the experience.
The Kjeldahl farm
The Kjeldahl farm was established by the two brothers Jens and Søren Peder Kjeldahl. They now farm approximately 700 ha with potatoes, onions and pumpkins (for Halloween) as the major crops. Celeriac and cabbage are grown as well. As rotation crops: grains and a number of seed crops like spinach and red beets are grown. Cover crops are often grown especially after harvest of early potatoes. All vegetables are packed on the farm and sold to “Netto” a leading chain of discount stores in Denmark.
Increasingly unstable soil structures of the sandy soils led in 2008 to the implementation of non-inversion tillage and SCTF (Seasonal Controlled Traffic Farming). The farming system is inspired by Dutch organic farmers who have defined a standard of track gauge to 3.2 m. Three meter wide beds match row distances of all relevant crops including potatoes grown at 750 mm.
The ASA-Lift WS9000 Wide Span tractor
There is a lack of CTF compatible harvest machines Therefore Dutch and Danish farmers often compromise the CTF system during harvest. On the Kjeldahl farm a Wide Span tractor is being tested for harvest of onions. This tractor has a track gauge of 9.6 m equal to 3 growing beds. The tractor was developed by ASA-Lift a leading producer of vegetable harvest machines. ASA-Lift is now part of the Grimme Group. The Wide Span tractor was developed with support from The Danish Market Development Fund
Strip Tillage
This year a 6 row Kverneland Kultistrip has been put in use on the farm. The primary crop for strip cultivation will be 60 ha of Halloween pumpkins. Celariac, cabbage, canola and some of the vegetable seed crops will be other crops where strip tilling will be tested. Strip tilling is implemented to improve the soil structure in an intensive vegetable crop rotation. Weed control is assumed to be easier as well
On the farm grain crops and cover crops are drilled by use of a 3 m Gaspardo NoTill planter
Finalising the CTF system
The potato harvesters are the main implements that presently does not fit in the CTF bed system. It is planned to rebuild the harvester to match the 3 m bed system. The solution chosen will likely by implemented on the celeriac harvester as well.
For further info in the CTF solution on the Kjeldahl farm please check http://ctfeurope.com/2016/kjeldahl-3mctf
Time schedule (minor changes may appear)
If interested in this tour please come as well to the special session on: Conservation Agriculture and Controlled Traffic farming at the CIGR conference on Tuesday 28 June at 8:30. See sessions
Tour organisor: Hans Henrik Pedersen, hansh.pedersen@eng.au.dk, Phone +45 21717737
Tour price 450 DKK / 60 Euro. Book here
This tour is planned through the ICT-Agri project CTF-OptiMove that is funded partly by the Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP) of the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food
