However, with the rising price of fuel, this is no longer the case. It can now represent approximately 35% of the cost of running a tractor (slightly below depreciation). Savings on fuel are therefore worthwhile even if investment is needed to achieve them.
Historically, the diesel cost of tractor operations was trivial compared to depreciation, interest on capital and the cost of repairs.
Cost versus use: the benefit of benchmarking
Market volatility makes benchmarking based only on price ineffective, as demonstrated in figures 1 & 2. Benchmarking and setting targets for fuel use is more effective if they are based on litres of diesel used per unit area.
Diesel use, excluding drying, is likely to be between 70l/ha and 130l/ha (£51/ha and £95/ha as at May 2025 prices) on a combinable cropping farm. This is one of the easiest targets to assess and repeat annually. Figure 3 highlights the misleading story that assessing fuel use on cost can tell, making it harder to identify successes in operational efficiency.
Increasing efficiency
Fuel use is directly proportional to the energy needed for operations, plus while idling. Operations therefore need to be carefully thought through and planned to minimise non-operational consumption.
One key factor driving increased fuel use is cultivation overlap – which can be as much as 15%, particularly when using narrow cultivators, or larger cultivators in small fields with irregular boundaries. There are some easy wins to help reduce overlap, such as:
- Square up fields with environmental schemes
- Consider introducing GPS while noting that the cost per unit area is farm size dependent
- Use the right cultivator for the job to avoid unnecessary passes
- Select appropriately sized cultivators for the situation, where possible
- Ensure correct tyre pressures and vehicle specifications are being adhered to
- Concentrate on avoiding overlaps
- Set and monitor targets for fuel use
While direct drilling uses less energy than ploughing, and can reduce fuel consumption by over 50l/ha, this will only benefit overall profitability if the yield is not compromised or additional herbicides are not required.
Tractor size has a significant impact on fuel use, with larger tractors using more fuel than smaller ones, so matching tractors to cultivator width and task is essential. However, a load factor can also alter the relative consumption. Research papers, such as “Predicting Tractor Fuel Consumption”, help estimate fuel use and extract extra savings.
Additional variables in fuel use can also be seen between operators and tractor types. Tractors should be switched off when not in use, and operators should avoid unnecessary journeys back to the yard.
Profitability in farming hinges on maximising output value whilst incurring lower costs than other global farmers can achieve. The first step in reducing fuel usage, and therefore cost, is to know how much you currently use (benchmark). The second step is to review operations and identify potential solutions to lower usage. The final step is to set a target and monitor performance.
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