Organised by Conservation Farmers Inc and funded by the Condamine Alliance and the Natural Heritage Trust, the field day was staged on Tim and Narelle Thorne's Willowbank property.

Mr Thorne said the biggest stumbling block to more widespread adoption of the technology throughout the district lay with its predominately smaller farms.

"Many producers just can't afford to change their systems over," Mr Thorne said.

"But the take home message is you don't need a lot of money to have a go it at it (CT farming)."

The Thorne family have opted for a 3.2m wide CTF system which is now operating not only on the 121ha (300 acre) home farm, but also on a recently-purchased 48ha (120 acre) block, plus on a further 182ha (500acres) of leased country. All are predominately black soil.

With eight or nine years operating experience behind them, and quite apart from achieving better soil moisture profiles, less paddock compaction and higher yields, the Thornes say they are now working more country with just one labour unit.

There's no disguising the rather ancient Mercedes tractor, now fitted with a guidance system, is a key component of the system, but the conversion work needed to adjust its axles and hubs to span 3.2m cost just $5000.

The disc planter/air cart combination, plus a self-propelled Spray Coupe boom sprayer (purchased as crop returns improved) and an old header, with its modified front now spanning eight rows, cuts a 6.4m swath to neatly dovetail the system together.

While a manure-spreading policy appears to contradict the property's CT farming principles, it has been deemed necessary to boost phosphorous and zinc levels on the lease country. Naturally, the spreader runs on 3.2m tracks.

"This year's summer crops were our best-ever and I hope I live long enough to see another year like it," Mr Thorne said.

"Our sorghum yielded up to 3.6t/acre and our corn averaged between 3.5t/acre to 4t/acre."

* Extract from a full report to appear in Queensland Country Life, July 31 edition.