How much of the past few decades yield increases can we take credit for?

Goldilocks

Member

BASE UK Member

Location

Oxfordshire

• Nov 27, 2016

• #1

Just chillaxing on a Sunday evening with a glass of wine and got to thinking that last 3 or 4 decades of yield improvements probably caused as much by increased atmospheric CO2 levels and the borrowing of fertility from the future through the wholesale oxidation of soil organic matter as by our 'amazing farming skills' and plant breeding programmes.
Answers please on a postcard..........

 

mikep

Member

Location

Arse end of Surrey, UK

• Nov 28, 2016

• #2

IPU.

 

martian

DD Moderator

BASE UK Member

Location

N Herts

• Dec 4, 2016

• #3

Having had a week to think about this and looking at all the responses, I think I put the improvements down to my amazing farming skills.

Next...

 

O

Old McDonald

Member

Location

Harray, Orkney

• Dec 4, 2016

• #4

martian said:

Having had a week to think about this and looking at all the responses, I think I put the improvements down to my amazing farming skills.

Next...

Click to expand...

There could be a lot of truth in that remark. I now keep yield records on a couple of mature olive trees, that have always cropped well for me, and I am happy I am learning how to get better production from them. The same should apply to say cropping the same variety of a crop, but I do believe modern varieties yield better than old ones.

 

PSQ

Member

Arable Farmer

• Dec 4, 2016

• #5

How much of the past few decades yield increases can we take credit for?

It's a team effort, lots of little incremental improvements that add up to a lot. Although I will add that apart from increased sunlight that caused 2015's wonders, that yields have plateaued here for a number of years.

I dont think CO2 levels have much to do with it, and I'd argue that organic matter levels are stable here, although we did see the beneficial effects of ploughing out permanent grass for about 20 years.
We are not mining fertility, we are building it where it is deficient while bringing down the excessive areas, no saving to be had, just aiming for uniformity on a ha x ha sampling system.

Apart from that, I take all the credit.

 

mikep

Member

Location

Arse end of Surrey, UK

• Dec 4, 2016

• #6

IPU

 

Goldilocks

Member

BASE UK Member

Location

Oxfordshire

• Dec 5, 2016

• #7

sorry, weird post.......must stop drinking wine on Sunday evenings!

 

martian

DD Moderator

BASE UK Member

Location

N Herts

• Dec 5, 2016

• #8

Goldilocks said:

sorry, weird post.......must stop drinking wine on Sunday evenings!

Click to expand...

Funnily enough they are working on an app that will save you from this kind of nightmare in future. Last time I was allowed into the cellars at TFF Towers there was a team of geeks working on the breathalyser app which soon members will have to breathe into before being allowed to post in the DD section. Conversely, you won't be able to post in the Brexit section if you haven't been drinking.

 

D

Dockers

Member

Location

Hampshire

• Dec 5, 2016

• #9

Over 3 decades ago (36 years ) we grew our first 4 ton (10tonnes/ha. ) crop. Hobbit. Followed by many years of 4ton crops of Avalon. Not sure my ability as a farmer has improved at all !!
Probably due to direct drilling !!!!!
PS my wine intake has more than trebled !!

 

britt

Member

BASE UK Member

Location

leics/warks border

• Dec 5, 2016

• #10

Goldilocks said:

sorry, weird post.......must stop drinking wine on Sunday evenings!

Click to expand...

So you should (unless it's English wine).
Cider would be much more patriotic ! (and uses less fossil fuels than beer)

 

Last edited: Dec 5, 2016

O

Old McDonald

Member

Location

Harray, Orkney

• Dec 5, 2016

• #11

Goldilocks said:

sorry, weird post.......must stop drinking wine on Sunday evenings!

Click to expand...

You should drink wine every evening. I have averaged at least a bottle a day (I usually have up to two glasses with lunch) since 1979.

 

mikep

Member

Location

Arse end of Surrey, UK

• Dec 10, 2016

• #12

martian said:

Funnily enough they are working on an app that will save you from this kind of nightmare in future. Last time I was allowed into the cellars at TFF Towers there was a team of geeks working on the breathalyser app which soon members will have to breathe into before being allowed to post in the DD section. Conversely, you won't be able to post in the Brexit section if you haven't been drinking.

Click to expand...

Problem with that is which end do you put the breathalyser? seems many of us breathe and talk out of different ends!