Agronomy or Genetics

[Klause]

WEther agronomy is the cause of our yield increases keeping wheat and canola equal or its a lack of agronomy preventing us from reaching the full genetic capabilities of new varieties.




your take?

Check out @grafwheat's Tweet: https://twitter.com/grafwheat/status/528607923032031232

[farmaholic]

Klause, I'd say the largest part of the yield increases, in general, for all crops grown have come from improved agronomy. On average, we've never grown more grain since we've started the more intense method of farming with more inputs. The odd exception creeps in when environmental conditions can't be overcome. I don't think genetics can take alot of the credit. Bayer says its canola needs to be well fed to get top results, does that mean the older invigors never even had the potential to match the well fed new varieties? I don't think so. If they need to focus on anything, provide me with something that will keep me out of the ****ing sprayer, pest and disease resistance. We don't need more cheap feedwheat, malt barley that they try to tie to feed barley prices, or anything else that will increase our costs and supply while depressing prices even further.

[malleefarmer]

good topic klause
id say agronomy for canola and wheat but genetics for barley here in Australia, yields from barley are increasing at a astonishing rate wereas all "new" wheats that are highest yielding have poor disease package meaning fungicides twice at least any hint of rust and they get belted

[TOM4CWB]

I see a marked increase in yields on our farms. We are experiencing both in combination increasing our productivity.

Canola, then peas, fabas, wheat and flax less so but still close to 20 percent.

From 25 years ago. Higher Proteins, oil content, stands better, faster maturity plant leaf disease and insect resistance, more for less Fert.

[SASKFARMER3]

Agronomy is the reason for increase in Yields. Nothing we have done on breeding has increased the crop.
From when I started in 1979 to today its only one thing and that's Agronomy. But what has increased to out of control is price of seed. Canola is the prime example a once reasonable crop to grow has now got to unrealistic if mother nature turns against you. Plants in Mud or drought do one thing DIE!!!!!!!!!!.
So my vote is Agronomy.

[bgmb]

I would say the wet weather pattern over the last 10 years has more to do with it that anything. I know it has hurt some areas ours included some years but overall I think more moisture along with better agronomy to take advantage of that moisture is the largest factor over the last 10 years.

[bucket]

I agree bgmb

If I would have got rain instead of heat on my Q2 canola years ago I am sure it would have performed very well for 1.99 a pound plus the 15 an acre TUA.

Then I quit growing canola because of the flower blasting that occurred yearly.

The last 3 have been good weather for canola. Could never say in early 2000s that you could flower canola in July and get away with it.

I would say nothing to do with varieties just mother nature and practices.

[bgmb]

I think new varieties are a bit better than old ones but def do not live up to the % increase claims. One thing they do do is keep up on disease resistance so i don't think we can totally write them off.

[Hamloc]

As an example our best performing wheat for many years is Foremost a cps wheat registered in 2002. My favourite barley for silage is seebe and I have tried numerous others. Looking at wheat yield tables most wheats only improve on Barrie's yield by 10 or 15 percent. We probably put 20 pounds of actual N more per acre than we did 25 years ago which creates a thicker canopy and now we have to spray fungicide because of that to maintain yields. I would say we are creating plants that have less resiliency and require more inputs to survive. It is my opinion that agronomy is contributing more than genetics.

[LEP]

I would say mostly agronomy. I look back with great regret to 25 or 30 years ago, about what opportunities we missed because we didn't increase intensity.

But now we review everything we do every year and try to determine if we can improve on what we have done.

There is no sitting back and comfortably saying we have the formula.

[LEP]

Ok. So I post here and then watch Jim Hopson in his video of leading change.

He encapsulates exactly what I said above, continual change makes for a better organization. In order to grow you need to continue to change.

I second that notion.

[ajl]

I would agree with the posters that mention better weather as a major contributor to higher yields with rain instead of heat in July being huge. Regular fall moisture helps the old crop stubble break down during the winter rather than steal N from the new crop in June also helps increase yield. Need a year with blast furnace July heat and wind to remind us of the importance of good weather. Have not had that since 2007.

[bgmb]

We have not had a dry year here since 2003.

[furrowtickler]

Agronomy and favourable weather - just look at wheat yeilds the past five years - up huge with very little improvement in genetics.
Unlike canola yields, which are far more weather related than agronomy and/ or genetic improvement.
Increased agronomy resulted in little to less response over last year in canola but wheat responded very well - in this area .

[Hopperbin]

I remember 40 wheat on summerfallow 0 n. 20 on 60 lbs n on second year wheat stubble or after canola. **** i am old. Was a moisture issue. Gotta love those expenses though. Things change, change is the constant.