The aim of the tour was to study the latest developments in precision agriculture. This is a very fast developing subject where great strides are being made on improving profits and lowering the environmental impact of farms worldwide. The leaders in the field have, until now, been American farmers and agribusinesses. While they are still very active, I believe the focus for British farmers interested in precision agriculture now has to change to look at the research and farming practice in other parts of the world that may have more in common with our cropping, climate, environment and economic patterns.
The market for agricultural products is now competitive on a world scale and fluctuating prices commonplace. As a result the only way to increase margins is to reduce the cost of establishing crops (in the arable sector) and find methods by which to minimise wastage of costly inputs.
This report develops all of the potential precision farming solutions and technologies that are currently available to growers in considerable detail, demonstrating them in various scenarios to show how many can be applied to multiple uses. The author begins by comprehensively detailing the technologies utilised in the USA, such as variable rate application systems for the desiccation of cotton crops, in addition to all four types of GPS systems, demonstrating their benefits, namely the most expensive class 4, accurate to less than 2 inches. Furthermore various case studies are included of technology providers and farming businesses demonstrating the costs/benefits associated with utilising the technology through very detailed appraisals, enabling the reader to apply this to any potential enterprises of their own prior to purchase. Specific technologies are focused upon, including Auto Boom Technology in spraying, before concluding the report highlighting the benefits and the attitude differences to precision agriculture that exist in the USA and Australia, compared to those in the UK.
The author visited the USA and Australia as part of their study tour to assemble this report.
Seed potato production has always been a risky enterprise, as such growers are at the end of the supply chain, exacerbated recently by falling acreages of ware crops. North America has suffered over the last couple of decades with outbreaks of ring rot, and it is from here the UK can learn management techniques to avoid the impacts recently experienced during the 2003 emergence of the disease in Mid-Wales.
This report has been compiled with the aim of examining quarantine disease management with regard to ring rot, with considerable focus being given to seed certification and potato breeding. The author begins by outlining the UK seed potato industry and identifying the tremendous costs of ring rot, both in terms of its effects (zero compensation and yield loss through rotting tubers) and the expense associated with its control, namely DEFRA testing procedures. Considerable focus is given to the industry in Canada and various parts of North America, with specific attention given to the certification process in each region. Overall the report highlights the need to buy from sources of full traceability and, as an industry, minimise imports, to maintain the high health and quality status that is British seed.
The author traveled throughout Canada and the USA to enable the assembly of this report.
There is a £60/tonne variation in the export world feed wheat price, the UK of which is at the bottom end of that scale. As haulage only accounts for around half of this variation, it is evident that quality and marketing differences are playing a major role in determining the export prices of grain.
This report coherently presents an investigation into the performance of the UK as a potentially major grain exporter. The movement of grain from farm to the end user is analysed with considerable focus to co-operative bulk handling systems used in Australia. Differences in quality assurance schemes and marketing ability are shown across the world using Australia and Canada as case studies. This is concluded effectively by the author and recommendations made as to the need for the UK to adopt a similar regulatory system Canada, to speed up the flow of information between the farmer and the end user and for UK co-operatives to become marketers in their own right.
The author visited France, South Africa, Australia, the USA and Canada to produce the report.
Direct drilling is by no means a new phenomenon, but there is a resurgent interest in the technique brought about by falling output prices and the subsequent need to reduce input costs.
This report begins by clearly outlining the benefits of minimal and zero tillage in terms of time and cost savings, the prevention of soil erosion and moisture conservation. The author develops this with other considerations that must be accounted for when undertaking direct drilling such as changes to weed control strategies, compaction management and dealing with crop residues. The process of direct drilling sugar beet is described with the prospects for this process examined in terms of preventing wind erosion and improving soil structure. An analysis of the spring zone tillage system is compared to the pre-plant strip tillage system adopted throughout North America. The author effectively concludes this comprehensive report with the overriding benefits of direct drilling whilst emphasising that a combination of zero and minimal tillage systems will work well together in rotations involving root crops.
The author visited Canada, the USA, France and Germany, in addition to travelling within the UK.
Growing potatoes is a very costly activity and a large proportion of this cost is attributed to the cost of the seed. Choosing varieties to suit the agronomic conditions of the area concerned and the demand from the market is therefore very important.
This report highlights the main seed potato producing areas of Europe and analyses the min-tuber production at each from the field to the planting by the ware grower, studying varieties and diseases. The author then coherently compares the seed potato regulations between the main producing nations of the EU using English, Welsh and Scottish producers as a focus and enabling the costs of production to be discussed comparing UK production to other countries across Europe. The author ends with strong conclusions incorporating the need to use reputable suppliers of seed with full traceability and various recommendations such as to change breeders' royalties so as to reward them but not too high to discourage the uptake of new varieties.
The author travelled across England, Wales and Scotland and visited France and The Netherlands to complete this report.
The difficulty of growing winter crops in areas prone to flooding is all too apparent with crop failure likely where water can lie over the winter period.
This report investigates the suitability of the lupin crop to UK conditions by considering current species and their specific characteristics such as lalbus, the white lupin with high yields possible. This is followed by further agronomical advice, assessing various factors such as location and soil type, herbicide use and diseases. The current situation in other countries is explained focussing on Australia as the world's largest producer of lupins. Various uses for the crop are discussed suggesting future markets for the UK crop having learnt lessons from abroad, concluding that there is a place for all many varieties within the market but high value niche markets should be targeted first and animal feed treated as a by product of processing, allowing them to be a viable protein crop that is entirely GM free as opposed to imported Soya.
The author visited Iceland, Western Australia, Tasmania and Chile as part of the compilation of the report.
During recent years there has been a divergence between the objectives of farmers, as some decide to focus on direct marketing their products to local niche markets for a higher value added price and others continue to produce for the commodity market but on a large scale to help spread overheads over larger output.
This report aims to conclude whether scale is truly important for successful agriculture and the benefits that scale can deliver such as improving competitiveness due to a reduction in fixed costs per unit. However as with most business strategies there are problems in its achievement and also pitfalls of scale should it not be implemented correctly such as the difficulty of managing people. Co-operation and other methods by which scale can be achieved are also clearly presented. Although this report concludes that scale is important, there is recognition that small scale can also be a success for niche markets.
The author visited Poland, France, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA alongside many parts of the UK to enable the completion of this report.
As commodity prices suffer in the new global market place, growers must look to consider new options available to satisfy customer demand and therefore increase the value of their products.
This report identifies that there is scope for agronomists and plant breeders to develop varieties that deliver more from lower inputs thus improving value to the grower. Furthermore there is evidence that the UK market may provide niches for wheat products aimed at health conscious consumers. However industry attitudes within the UK and even more so abroad, make this extremely difficult. Nevertheless greater scientific research in Australia enables a closer link between breeding technology and the customer. This is effective because of the need to make researchers aware of the importance of matching their products with that demanded by the end user. Despite this, adding value through breeding is possible although communication and co-operation must improve within the chain.
The author visited France, Germany and Australia to assemble the report.
Global competition within the potato industry will inevitably continue to push down prices to as low as possible. The UK is already trading at a disadvantage due its high cost structure.
This report investigates costs and identifies strategies for the future in relation to sustainable potato production. This is conducted by comparing production costs and methods used throughout Western and Eastern Europe, in order to explain exactly what farming businesses are doing to reduce or eliminate costs to enable profit margins to be maintained as commodity prices continue to fall. Southern Spain and Australia were also studied to show a different perspective of potato production through a different climate. The report begins by outlining the situation today, develops by demonstrating other systems and concludes with recommendations for UK producers to improve their cost savings by benchmarking and improve their selling position by being market led and only producing for demand from the market.
The author toured Belgium, Holland, Northern France, Southern Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Australia and Tasmania.
