Agriculture Revision Flashcards
What is a typical crop roation in your area
Wheat, Wheat, Fallow, Break Crop, Wheat
Why is a crop roation used?
- Good for soils - Suppresses Weeds (blackgrass etc.) - Previously Greening requirement
What is a gross margin
Is a means of measuring the performance of a business enterprise. It takes into account the outputs and variable costs of the enterprise and produces a figure which can be compared with similar enterprises; known as benchmarking, or can be compared with results from previous years as a means of defining how well the enterprise is performing over time.
How do you manage blackgrass?
Late drilling, spring cropping, ploughing, break crops, fallow, high seed rates
How do you qualify for applying for BPS?
- You must actively farm the holding
- Must follow cross compliance (GAECS and SMRs) and greening rules
- By having at least 5 hectares and 5 entitlements
Can you talk me through how you apply for BPS?
Step 1 - Sign in / Sign up with the RPA
Step 2 - Check land and details are correct
Step 3 - Create new direct payments applicaiton
Step 4 - Generate application summary and check
Step 5 - Check Maps and submit an RLE1 for any changes
Step 6 - Enter the cropping for that year
Step 7 - Submit application
- Deadline is 15 May
- Submit the application online
- Require the customer reference number, single business identifier
What are the price of entitlements?
- 155 for sda
- 111 for non sda
- 40 for moor
Why would you use a CFA?
- Maintain active farmer status (CGT entrepreneurs, IHT APR & BPR, VAT trading business claim back VAT on standard rated supplies)
- Gain skills and knowledge from contractor
- Efficient use of land and buildings
- Incentive for contractor to improve results
- Average higher returns than from FBT
How do you transfer entitlements?
- Through completing an RLE1 form
What features are to be avoided when spreading slurry?
- Not spread within 10m from surface water or 50 m from bore hole or spring
What are the requirements of BPS?
- Cross compliance, active farmer, minimum 5ha and 5 entitlements
What is TB
- Infectious respiratory disease of cattle.
What do dairy farmers need to do?
- Get cattle periodically tested as instructed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
● Once a year if in high risk area
● Once a year or every six months if in an edge area
● Once every four years if in low risk area (Cambridgeshire)
What happens if you get a reactor
- A reactor - inconclusive skin test result at two consecutive tests
- Movement restrictions put in place
- Reactor has to be isolated – paddock used for isolation cannot then be used for 60 days
- Slaughter and post mortem examination of reactor
- Disinfect farm
- Retested in 60 days
What is Greening?
If you make a Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claim, the greening rules are compulsory. Applicants that don’t follow them will lose some – or all – of their greening payment. The amount lost will depend on the level of non-compliance. In 2015, the maximum amount a farmer could lose if they don’t follow the rules is 30% of their total payment
What are the Methods of farming?
- In Hand
- Letting the land
- Contract Farming Agreement
- Share Farming
Why have a break crop
Break cycle of weeds, pest and diseases
Replace nutrients into the soil, nitrogen if using legumes
Aim to optimise yields and reduce need for fertiliser and sprays
Types / Variaties of Wheat
Hard wheats are better quality – flour
Soft wheats – better for biscuits
Einstein – milling wheat
Alchemy – feed wheat
Typical field operations in your area for a wheat crop?
For a Winter Wheat crop
- September - ploughing
- October - Cultivations and drilling or min till operations
- November - Weed and aphid control
- March - Fertiliser top-dressing
- April - Fertiliser top-dressing
- April - Weed control
- May - Weed and disease control
- June - Disease control
- August - Winter wheat harvesting
What is an acceptable moisture level for Wheat?
Needs to be 14.5% for wheat, above that and will either need drying or will face penalties when selling
What are the different soil types?
Sand
Clay
Silt
Loam
Peat
What are some Crop diseases?
Blackgrass
Blight
Take All
When does BPS get phased out?
The last year of BPS will be 2027
What does DEFRA stand for?
The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
What does NELMS stand for?
New Environmental Land Management Scheme
How long is the Agricultural Transition Period?
Seven years 2020 - 2027
What is the Farming Investment Fund
This will build on the current Countryside Productivity Scheme.
It will offer grants (likely to be 40%) for investment in items of equipment deemed to improve productivity. Like the CPS, there will be two tiers;
Farming Equipment and Technology Fund - a fixed rate of grant for specified items with application online.
Farming Transformation Fund - for high-value items or projects. A two stage process with an EOI and then full application.
The FIF is expected to open in rounds. The first is due in October 2021. The scheme will run until 2026.
What is the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)?
This will be the ‘entry-level’ component of ELM.
SFI is a trial scheme to bridge the gap between BPS and NELMS and replace some of farmers BPS income.
