clever science, smart farming - roger sylvester-bradley (adas)
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www.adas.co.uk
Clever science,
smart farming
Roger Sylvester-Bradley
Farming Futures Workshop at Innovation Farm, 1st February 2011
ADAS-mediated innovations: 1
Big bale silage
Direct harvested onions
Straw incorporation
Cereal fungicide strategies
Midge resistant wheats
ADAS-mediated innovations: 2
Floating mulches
Hybrid Nantes Carrots
Flat Rate Feeding of Dairy cows
Irrigation scheduling
Lodging control.
Example innovation – Silage
Paul Brassley (1996). Silage in Britain, 1880-1990: The Delayed
Adoption of an Innovation. Agricultural History Review 44, 63-87.
“The most important point to emerge is the
necessity for all components of a system to
be in place before rapid adoption can occur.
– Problems with alternatives – hay, roots
– Achieving reliability – with a more complex process
– Mechanisation
– Ease of use
“Until all parts of the system were in place
most [farmers] resisted all the blandishments
of enthusiasts, politicians, scientists and
advisers for nearly a century.”
innovations involve
investment & risk
Exogenous forces
wheat prices US
Endogenous forces
varieties,
herbicides,
lime, P&K,
drainage,
myxomatosis
semi-dwarfs,
N fertiliser,
fungicides,
PGRs
Wheat
real
price
index
0
2
4
6
8
10
UK wheat
yields, t/ha
UK
US
Koning & van Ittersum (2009)
A new phase
of innovation
.. but what ??rotation &
seed drills
threshing
machinesenclosures
Percival (1948) & Defra stats.
World record wheat crop
Grain cv. Einstein 15.7 t/ha
– at 15% moisture
– and 10.9% protein
PA radiation: 1,250 MJ/m2
– For construction & production
– UK norm: 1,000 MJ/m2
– Mean temp: 11.6 ºC (UK: 14.6 ºC)
Water: summer rain .. 394 mm
plus soil .. >200 mm
– UK normal summer rain: 220 mm
Nitrogen: 535 kg/ha
– After peas, 85 kg/ha soil N supply
– + 450 kg/ha fertiliser N applied.
Mike Solari, Alvia Farm,
near Gore, Southland, NZ
Targets: slower development, faster growth
Targets: slower development, faster growth
61
87
gro
wth
development
Growth Stage
87
61
31
61
‘designed’ earlinessshort to GS31 … better yield ?
31
87
+60mm
170mm
0.5m
1.5m
1.0m99% roots
99% roots
Soil water availability target
Crop water demand
– Minimum in summer for 15 t/ha grain .. 430mm
Summer rain
– Average 220mm
Soils storage
– Requirement, with 20mm ‘insurance’ .. 230mm
– 140 to 180mm water / metre … norm: 170 mm / metre
– 99% roots need to reach 1.8m .. 0.6m extra
– Beyond direct intervention
Alternatives:
– Irrigation ..
– Grow maize .. or .. MOVE west !
Target: Nutrient efficiency
Static fertiliser technology
– Little change for >50 years
N fertilisers are only ~60% efficient
– ~40% is emitted to the environment
– P efficiency even less
Current research ideas
– Better prediction of crop requirements
… precision application
… crop & soil analysis
– Inhibitors / enhancers
– Targeting: foliar application, combine drilling
– Plant Breeding
… Faster uptake .. biological fixation?
… Match proteins to market requirements.
Science & technology for productivity
Genetic improvement– Breeding .. enhanced by genomics, hybrids & GM
… Tailored life-cycles
… Enhanced metabolism .. esp. photosynthesis
… Designed products e.g. protein
– Species choice .. Crop rotations
Chemical intervention – Integrated genetic-chemical protection systems
– Stress resistance: ABA, anti-transpirants
– Growth stimulants e.g. grain expansion
– Fertiliser enhancements
Mechanisation & automation– Soil management .. esp sub-soils
– Faster harvesting & establishment
– Irrigation
– Targeted fertilisers
– Sensing and Automation of applications
– Information management.
Smart farming – new systems
Involves experimentation & risk
– Borrowing ideas and honing them
Exploring new systems
– Triticale for energy .. feed & fuel
– Maize, sunflowers, etc. in S & E
– Wheat in the west
– Efficient irrigation strategies
– Optimising straw use
– IT e.g. GPS, traceability
– Legume-based leys for protein
Integrating Supply Systems
– Climate-soil-species-variety-
production-process-consumption
… Biofuels .. Bread .. etc.
Clever science, Smart farming
Time is short– But the opportunity is here!
Clever science is for scientists– Science creates an environment for
innovation
– Biology is only part of the answer
Innovation happens „near-farm‟– Involves risk
– Requires investment
– Farming must enable innovation
… and feed-back to science.
