Using fuel responsibly is not just an environmental responsibility. It also has economic consequences. Fuel is often not handled with sufficient thought. For instance, idling hours should be limited as much as possible and machines should be handled smartly by working on the right adjustment. Driver behaviour also plays a role. Unnecessary high revs and incorrect use of front traction or front weights can send consumption soaring.
In addition to the costs associated with fuel consumption, there are of course other costs associated with arable farming that affect the way tractors and machinery are handled. The cost of the most fuel-efficient tractor may be so hear that it is ultimately not the most economical choice. The same goes for wider machines. These are more economical per unit area but a thorough financial calculation is necessary to weigh up the two choices.
The evolution towards larger machines in agriculture has been positive in terms of fuel consumption. Large machines are the result of increased labour demand at ever shorter time intervals. The optimum sowing and harvesting periods are very short, requiring farmers and contractors to perform all operations in a very short time to achieve maximum yields. In addition to fuel consumption, it is important to consider tillage quality.
Conclusion
The objective of the project was to demonstrate the known fuel-saving techniques. For this purpose, some field work was carried out with different interventions on tractor and machine to clarify the effect of each intervention. Since the results are often interpolated, not all effects were carried out on each machine. In the different operations, not only consumption was monitored. The time needed to work a given surface was also taken into account to include the influence of wheel slip.
In haymaking, a wider machine showed lower consumption per unit area. In ploughing and mowing, an increase in driving speed reduced fuel consumption per unit area. Only in cultivating was there a reverse effect from speeds above 8.5 km/h. As long as the soil tillage is well done or the grass is well cut, it is best to keep the tillage speed as high as possible.
