- Location
- Hampshire
Will your debate be filmed / recorded Jim?
It would be interesting if we could have a link to a Utube video after the event.
It would be interesting if we could have a link to a Utube video after the event.
Cereals.
- Thread starter JNG
- Start date
- Location
- Hampshire
Our organic cereal yields are not significantly lower than before, and our grass yields have increased. Most of this is down to re-learning how to farm!
SilliamWhale
Member
I know but is it fair to say organic can't often get you 3t/acre can it? And surely very rare to get you 3.5/4t? I don't think an arable bloke can't make the margin out of the fertility building years that a dairyman can.
I thought we had put this one to bed showing Lee the HGCA average yield data for the last 30 years that shows a 30% increase in average yields ! either his grandfather was bloody brilliant or he is very bad !!
its very easy to look back through rose tinted glasses, my dad does it all the time !
- Location
- Cambs
Yes, come and see us
green giant
Member
- Location
- Northumberland
Can't be any colder, am off tomorrow, if you see a big green fella wondering round, put your bottom dollar on that it will be me,lol.
I'll be the one who looks half asleep, got to meet up at 4.30am:'(
I'll also be the youngest one walking with a hiking stick:-(
green giant
Member
- Location
- Northumberland
I'll keep an eye out for you! Bring our brolly, I think we're going to get wet!!
warksfarmer
Member
Sorry Will, didn't know you had replied to this.
Yes I am sure. Ok they were not using weigh bridges and combine weighers like we do, but at the end of the day the number of tonnes delivered to the buyer divided by the acres planted saw them grow over 3t/ac consistently and up to 3.5t/ac occasionally. We are now ok at 3.5t/ac average and can in some instances do 4t/ac if everything goes right for us. I have lifted the yields a bit more from 2008 to today (with 2012 as an exception of course) by using more Nitrogen though.
However my point is really more to do with where we are today compared to 30 years ago and you can show me as many graphs as you like with as much information as you like but things have not moved on and and its down to seed breeding. So my point still stands where is all our money going as I do not feel things have moved on to where they should be and I am talking about honest averages here and not blips or Mr Smith and Mr Jones farming on grade 1 soil consistently growing over 4t/ac.
30 years ago auto steering of machines was not even heard of. Today we are doing it and very close to driverless tractors. 30 years ago they were groiwng up to 3.5t/ac - today we are generally doing the same. @Jim Bullock has always given a very honest opinion of his business and the way he farms and he is the same as us and many other farmers if we are being honest with ourselves - where are we actually going ..........
Apparently a wheat seed has the potential to yield 20t/ha, so why are we all planting a seed, then chucking gods know how much at it only to end up with 8.6t/ha average. We are doing something wrong and I applaud the people who are trying different things to increase profits because sometimes its not always about yield is it. So if the input suppliers, many of which supply seed, fertilisers and chemicals, cant offer us better seeds then we will all look to increase our profits by using less of the other bits they supply us. My winter wheat chem spend this year ranges from £44/ha to £101/ha depending on crop and its end use. I am hoping the one final cost will be dessication, but if I have to go once more with a fungicide then so be it, but I know I have shaved the costs to the bone (probably to the limit to be honest) so if i can return over 3t/ac then thats my approach moving forwards ........ because I see no other way of increasing profitability. My machinery costs are as low as they will ever get. I could potentially save one cultivation pass if I went No Till. This then may save more herbicide costs as a knock on but I am not so sure at the moment. I am going to try to cut the fert back again next year as well.
Job to know what to do, but with the volatile grain markets we need to do something.
Lee,
this year the grain prices will be low. From next year on they will be high for several years.
Still, as you said: 2why are we doing this when we are not able to get more then 40% of the potential? I only can applaud that there must be some basics which are missed, certainly the solution doesn't lye in Precision Farming!
York-Th.
this year the grain prices will be low. From next year on they will be high for several years.
Still, as you said: 2why are we doing this when we are not able to get more then 40% of the potential? I only can applaud that there must be some basics which are missed, certainly the solution doesn't lye in Precision Farming!
York-Th.
Daniel
Member
- Location
- Mildenhall, Suffolk
What are you basing this speculation on?