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| Hi Carl,
You have a lot of questions, so I will do my best to add my experiences and thoughts. Tramlines are popular in England, both for accuracy and reduction of wheel track injury reasons, in fact I would suggest that a tramline kit is standard on most brands of drill/seeder. When we came to the US to implement the European wheat management practices, we found that no manufacturers offered tramline kits, so we found some aftermarket options for our producers. Most are still using them, and many are integrating them into auto-steer systems.
Using research trials over the past few years, we concluded that most of the yield loss associated with wheel tracks (in standing wheat - especially with late season applications) can be eliminated by using tramlines. However, to achieve the best wheel track yield compensation, wheat seed within the tramline rows should ideally be diverted to either side of the tramline. This is best explained by looking at the image below - this is a 90' sprayer, following tramlines placed with a 45' air seeder. Look at the wheat population in the rows either side of the tramline. (These are 22.5" tramlines, obtained by diverting 2 rows to the rows on either side of the tramline (if that makes sense) by using electric diverters). Narrower tramlines are preferred and this can be accomplished with narrower rows or by moving units in or out.
There are many different tramline options, but I have had good luck with the Amity kit and the Tramrite kit from VA (as discussed below). I sell the Amity kits for most brands of box drills and air-seeders and the reliability of the new series of motors has been very good. These kits can be adapted to fit most widths of booms and drills.
If you create tramlines with a sprayer, then you are not taking full advantage of the increased population of plants either side of the tramline row. For this reason you still get most of the yield loss associated with the wheel tracks.
Erosion can be a problem on steep slopes, yes. Some producers have reduced this by planting across the slopes, but in a no-till system - erosion is significantly reduced, even within tramlines.
Phil
www.needhamag.com
 (Tramlines.jpg)
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 Tramlines.jpg (92KB - 480 downloads)
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Tram Lines in Wheat
