Effect of fuel saving and crop energy output on controlled traffic system under small machinery in loess plateau of China

Abstract Energy saving was one of the main benefits of controlled traffic system. Research on energy conservation mechanism of controlled traffic system with small scale agricultural machinery was conducted in the Loess Plateau of China, to quantify the energy efficiency of controlled traffic system. Three treatments were included: zero tillage with controlled traffic (NTCN), shallow tillage with controlled traffic (STCN), and conventional tillage with random traffic (CK). Results showed that controlled traffic system can increase soil compaction in traffic lane and reduce soil compaction in crop zone. Thus, controlled traffic system can significantly reduce tine opener working resistance, STCN reduced by 20.9 % at 2 km/h velocity and 19.3 % at 1 km/h velocity, NTCN reduced by 10.1 % in both velocity, compared with random traffic treatment CK. Therefore, average fuel consumption at wheat planting reduced 29.3 % in NTCN, and 31.5 % in STCN, compared with CK. Due to the soil and water conservation, significantly yield increase more than 20 % was observed in controlled traffic treatments, even with 20 % of the field was occupied by permanent traffic lanes. Consequently, crop equivalent energy was relatively higher in controlled traffic system. It was illustrated that controlled traffic system with small machinery in Loess Plateau of China was fuel saving system with higher total energy output.