“Gear up and throttle back” is a fuel-saving practice suitable for light drawbar loads (less than 65% of full power) when reduced PTO speed is not a problem. For the most efficient operation, a tractor’s engine should be operated near its rated capacity. However, many field …
Optimizing Field Efficiency to Save Fuel
Introduction
Field efficiency means completing a particular field operation while wasting the least amount of time, fuel, and farm resources. The term refers to the time the operation should take vs. turning and other nonproductive time. For example, spending an inordinate amount of time turning around at the ends of short, wide fields or overlapping tillage operations within a field can result in higher fuel consumption per acre.
Machine maintenance and repair also affect field efficiency – equipment that is …