W5 - L2 - Cereal Production Systems and Profitability of Cereal Production Flashcards
what was conventional production systems evolved from
evolved from ‘basic’ husbandry for the
production of cereals
- low and variable yield levels
– no / low levels of artificial fertiliser
– high labour requirements
– no / minimal crop protection
what are the Milestones in the evolution of production systems to date
- rotation
- plough
- trials showing benefits of
fertilisers - Jethro Tull and the seed
drill - tractor
- combine harvester
- seed health / certification
- replicated trials
- herbicides / sprayers
- nitrogen programmes
- improved varieties
- insecticides
- 1st generation fungicides
- growth regulators
- intensive production
systems
what are the principles of commercial cereal production
- profits must be generated through grain production
- management decisions are made based on the maximum likelihood of success
- new cost-effective technologies are adapted to increase profit
- yield increase has been considered the most effective way to improve farm income
what are the 3 Crop Production System Options
- high input
- reduced input
- organic
what is high input system
Intensive : high input and high output
what is reduced input system
Less-intensive with Integrated Crop Management (ICM)
what does ICM stand for
Integrated Crop Management
what is organic system options
– low / minimal input : – no chemicals (fertilisers /sprays)
what is the most precious resource in all systems
Land
Conventional high input v Lower Input
(Integrated / IPM-based) v Organic
- in this context the ‘conventional’ is usually understood to be a
high input : high output system
– intensive winter cereal (w.wheat) system - Integrated is an umbrella word for a range of lower-input less-intensive production systems using IPM principles
– have considerably reduced chemical inputs with alternative
practices instead
– using rotations / sowing dates / non-ploughing / cultivar
selection / pest and disease thresholds etc
– LIFE project / Boxworth project / - knowledge replacing inputs
- more management required with less inputs
Historical Success of Intensive Production Systems – 1970s- Schleswig Holstein (German) / Laloux (Belgium) system
- motivated by requirement for increased production
- complimentary use of inputs / technologies
- recognised high yield potential
- understanding of crop physiology
- dramatic yield advancements / broke yield barriers
- increased profitability in medium term as price:cost balance was okay
factors in crop production
Yield Quality –> net return
1. rotation
2. climatic factors
3. soil factors
4. nutrient supply
5. husbandry
6. variety
7. disease, pest, weed control
8. growth regulation
9. Harvest Technique
10. Post-Harvesting handling
what are the disease control challenges
demanding climate and evolving pathogens
applications on a High Input System : Winter Wheat
- Seed dressing : fungicide (insecticide)
- Slug pellets (optional)
- Fertiliser
– P and K
– Nitrogen (200 kg/ha plus ) - Herbicide – autumn and spring , pre-harvest
- Growth Regulator – 1-2 applications
- Fungicides
- Aphicide – 3-4 applications with 5-6 products
environment problems with intensive systems
Environment
* Rachel Carson’s Silent
Spring’ book in the
1960’s - DDT legacy
* Nature of farming
* Pesticide loading over
time
* Nitrate in water
* Issues of Scale
* GMO’s etc
overproduction problems with Intensive systems
Overproduction
* On/Off since mid-1980’s
* price : cost squeeze
* systems use a lot of
expensive external inputs
* primarily yield driven
* depend on yield increase
over time
Problems with reduced input systems
- replace agrochemicals with higher operation costs
- problems with integrated rotations
- ‘break’ crops having low profitability
- problems with reduced chemical rates
- developing a disease control strategy
-consideration of uncertainty and risk is an
integral part of the decision-making process
what are the objectives of Integrated Crop Management(4)
- To encompass good farming practice alongside new techniques
- Highlight aspects of environmental management
- Improve food safety
- To improve public perception of farming
- Be economically viable
what are the aspects of environmental management (3)
– Water quality
– Soil erosion
– Wildlife and conservation
what are the aspects of being economically viable - 2
– Reduce inputs
– Protect environment
define crop rotation
Growing different crops in a planned sequence across a farm area over a period of time (3-6/8 years)
- cereal crops : combinable
- non-cereal crops (break crops)- combinable
crop nutrition for an integrated crop management 5
- Adoption of crop rotation
- Regular soil analysis
– Adjust nitrogen according to previous cropping - Better understanding of the soil : influence of soil type and OM on
soil fertility and risk of leaching - Better knowledge of nutrient requirements of crops
- Proper utilisation of organic manures
what is the main thing you need to reduce the reliance on for crop protection in integrated crop management
how can you overcome this reliance? (7)
Reduce reliance on chemicals
– Rotation
– Choose disease resistant varieties
– Increase crop diversity
– Knowledge of disease / pest lifecycles
– Forecasting systems (expert systems)
– Correct evaluation of problem
– good agronomy / crop walking
what are the two times of year work is carried out for winter cereal crop
autumn
spring
Outline of the autumn work of a winter cereal crop
autumn work
* stubble cultivation
* ploughing
* pressing / rolling
* autumn fertilisation
* sowing date
* sowing rate
* sowing method
* autumn herbicide
* autumn aphicide
Outline of the spring work of a winter cereal crop
spring work
* first nitrogen appl.
* first fungicide -T1
* growth regulator
* trace element appl.
* main nitrogen appl.
* second fungicide -T2
* late nitrogen appl. ?
* third fungicide appl. -T3
* aphicide
* harvest / drying
* sale of grain and straw
what is level of profitability directly related to ?
grain price level
what is the key to profitability
key to profitability is a balancing of input : output appropriate to the expected grain price level
what do you combine together to increase profitability
combining profit margin/tonne with tonnes/ha
what is key to high grain price
tonnes/ha
what is key to low grain price
key is profit margin/tonne
slide 26 &27
what can short term reactions result in
Short term reactions can make for very bad decision making e.g. poor grain prices before spring sowing
how long should a cereal production farm plan be ?
what sort of plan is it?
and explain plan
Three year / five year
* Rotation plan is critical - need other crops in sequence with wheat and barley
* Option of break crops, non-cereal crops
what is there concerns over with the rate of yield improvement in high output productions
Concerns over the rate of yield improvement
- genetic improvement
- technical advances : soil / plan
what is an example of a high production cost
Variable yields in difficult growing seasons
