Cutting Diesel Use at Planting and Harvest Without Losing Yield

Why Does Diesel Efficiency Matter More Than Ever in Grain Farming?

Right now, diesel is either hard to get, brutally expensive, or both. You already know what that means for your season.

But most farms haven’t found all the diesel savings available to them yet.

How many litres it takes to produce a tonne of grain comes down to traffic patterns, machinery matching, agronomy and pre-season planning. And in a season like this, every one of those areas deserves a hard look. 

Most farms that take that look are surprised by how much was being quietly burned without needing to be.

At Shepherd Grain, we work directly with growers across Australia. Here’s what we’re seeing make a real difference right now.

How You Move Machinery Through Paddocks

The routes machinery takes through a paddock — and how much ground gets covered twice — has a direct impact on how much diesel gets burned. It’s one of the biggest savings opportunities on the farm, and one of the most overlooked.

Controlled Traffic Farming

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is simple in concept: standardise machinery widths so every machine follows the same permanent lanes through a paddock, every time. No churned-up ground, no compacted wheel tracks cutting through the crop zone, no engine fighting harder than it needs to. Less resistance means less fuel — across every pass, every season.

GPS Guidance and Auto-Steer

GPS guidance, auto-steer and section control take it further. Auto-steer holds accurate lines in dust, stubble and low visibility. Section control stops machines going over ground they’ve already covered on headlands and odd-shaped corners. Across a full program those reductions in overlap add up to significant savings.

No CTF System? Start Here

A full CTF conversion isn’t a requirement. Fixing gateway positions, keeping to informal tramlines where possible and planning dedicated haul routes for chaser bins all cut wasted travel with no capital outlay.

Getting the Most From What You Have

The machinery sitting in your shed right now is probably capable of burning less diesel than it currently does. Most of the gains here come from how equipment is set up, how operations are combined and how well things are maintained — not from buying anything new.

Matching Machinery Properly

When tractors, seeders, carts and harvest fronts are in balance, engines run in a more efficient load range and jobs get done in fewer hours. Oversized gear pushes you into higher speeds and revs than the job needs. Under-powered gear lugs and crawls, adding time in the paddock, more overlap and more operator fatigue. Either way, you’re burning diesel you don’t need to burn.

Cutting Passes

Fewer passes across a paddock is often more powerful than any engine adjustment. Where agronomy allows, combining operations makes a direct dent in consumption — seed and fertiliser in one pass, in-furrow treatments replacing later mechanical runs, pre-emergent programs reducing extra weed passes.

Maintenance

Tyre pressures, gear selection, rpm and the condition of points, knives and discs all affect how hard an engine works to cover a hectare. A machine pulling freely through well-maintained ground uses meaningfully less fuel than one fighting against itself. Across a full program those numbers are worth paying attention to.

Reducing Tillage

Every tillage pass burns diesel. Shifting to minimum till or zero till cuts the number of times you drive across each paddock — fewer passes means lower fuel consumption, fewer labour hours and less wear on gear.

The trade-offs are real and need managing. Residue handling becomes more important, weed control leans more heavily on chemistry and planning than steel, and openers need to be well-set to maintain seed-to-soil contact in lower disturbance systems. Pre-season weed control planning — including double-knock tactics where needed — can sharply reduce the need for mechanical weed passes during the season.

What Reduced Tillage Does to Your Soil

Soils that aren’t constantly worked carry machinery better at sowing and harvest, produce fewer soft spots and deep wheel ruts and present lower draft requirements because the profile holds structure rather than sitting fluffy. Tractors and headers pull more freely, so each hectare costs less to work.

Planting Decisions

Hitting the right planting window is one of the most powerful ways to avoid wasted passes. Every re-sown patch, late rescue spray or out-of-pattern fertiliser run is extra diesel that rarely returns full value.

Getting Establishment Right

A crop that establishes well doesn’t demand extra attention. High-quality seed with good vigour, calibrated seeding depth, row spacing suited to the paddock and seeding rates that support even plant stands all reduce the likelihood of patchy areas generating unplanned return trips.

Crop Planning and Rotation

Rotating cereals with pulses like chickpeas or faba beans can improve soil structure and nitrogen status over time — reducing the need for heavy tillage and trimming fertiliser trips in later crops. Talking with your agronomist about variety selection, disease packages and likely timing for each crop helps line up agronomy and logistics in a way that supports more efficient operations across the rotation.

Harvest

Harvest is typically where fuel burn peaks. A well-set header makes a direct difference — correct concave and rotor settings so the machine threshes without excess load, fan speed tuned to avoid unnecessary power draw, sharp knives and well-maintained fronts for smooth cutting. A header that isn’t fighting tough straw or clearing blockages uses noticeably less power per tonne of grain.

Grain Movement

How grain moves off the paddock matters just as much as how the header is set. Chaser bin capacity matched to header output and truck turnaround keeps the header rolling. Field bins placed to avoid long hauls over soft ground and clearly planned haul routes that steer away from steep or boggy sections reduce both fuel and wear.

Harvesting when straw is drier, while grain remains within receival specs, usually means the header works more freely and spends less time processing tough material.

Tracking What’s Actually Working

Controlled traffic, machinery matching, reduced tillage and sharper planting decisions work together to cut litres per hectare. The growers who see the biggest gains tend to treat diesel efficiency as a whole-of-system decision rather than a single fix on one machine — and they track whether changes are paying off.

Three numbers worth watching across the season are diesel per hectare for each main operation, diesel per tonne of grain produced and hours per hectare for major jobs. Over time those figures show which changes are genuinely moving the needle.

FAQs

Q: How much diesel can I save at planting and harvest?

A: Savings vary, but most grain growers reduce fuel use by improving traffic flow, cutting overlap, and removing unnecessary passes. Even small gains per hectare add up quickly across a full season.

Q: Will improving diesel efficiency affect yield or slow operations?

A: No, if done correctly. Better setup, fewer rework passes, and efficient machinery use often improve timeliness and consistency, helping maintain or even lift yield outcomes.

Q: Is GPS guidance worth it without a full controlled traffic farming system?

A: Yes. GPS guidance, auto-steer, and section control reduce overlap and improve accuracy, especially in headlands and irregular paddocks, delivering fuel savings without a full CTF setup.

Q: What are the easiest ways to reduce diesel use without new equipment?

A: Start with tyre pressure, reduce wheel slip, sharpen wearing parts, and plan cleaner traffic paths. Tracking diesel per hectare helps identify where the biggest savings are.

Q: Does reducing tillage lower diesel consumption?

A: Yes. Fewer tillage passes directly reduce fuel use, labour, and machine wear. Minimum till and zero till systems are among the most effective ways to cut diesel per hectare.

Q: How does machinery matching affect diesel efficiency?

A: Correctly matched machinery keeps engines operating in efficient load ranges, reducing fuel burn per hectare and avoiding wasted time from underpowered or oversized equipment.

Q: Can harvest logistics impact diesel use?

A: Yes. Efficient grain movement, matched chaser bins, and shorter haul routes reduce unnecessary travel and idle time, cutting fuel use during peak harvest.

Q: What should I track to improve diesel efficiency over time?

A: Track diesel per hectare, diesel per tonne, and hours per hectare for key operations. These metrics show where fuel is being used and where improvements are working.

Working With the Right Grain Partner

The decisions that affect diesel efficiency don’t happen in isolation. Planting timing, variety selection, harvest windows and grain movement all connect back to who you’re selling to and how that relationship works.

Shepherd Grain is a grain company works directly with growers across Australia. We understand how on-farm decisions and supply chain logistics fit together, and we’re set up to have those conversations year-round — not just at harvest. If you want to talk through how your operation is set up and where the opportunities might be, get in touch with our team.