Calculate fuel consumption in litres per hectare and cost per hectare. Compare machinery efficiency and identify fuel-saving opportunities.
A farmer uses 1,200 litres of diesel to cultivate 100 hectares at $1.80/L.
At 12 L/ha for tillage, this is within typical 10-20 L/ha range. Switching to no-till could reduce to 5-6 L/ha — saving $10+/ha.
Common metrics: Litres per hectare (L/ha) for field work, litres per hour (L/h) for PTO work. Typical tractor: 10-20 L/ha tillage, 5-10 L/ha seeding.
Light tillage: 8-12 L/ha, heavy tillage: 15-25 L/ha, seeding: 5-10 L/ha, spraying: 2-5 L/ha. Modern tractors are 10-20% more efficient.
Reduce tillage passes. Match tractor size to implement. Keep tyres at correct pressure. Use auto-guidance. Maintain air filters. Buy fuel in bulk.
Typical combine: 15-30 litres per hectare. A 400hp harvester uses 40-60 L/hour. Header width and crop density significantly affect L/ha.