Setting Yield Targets Corresponding to the Potential of Plots
1. Presentation
Characterization of the technique
Description of the technique:
| Lionel Jouy | ARVALIS-Plant Institute | l.jouy(at)arvalisinstitutduvegetal.fr | Boigneville (91) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacques Girard | CA 14 | j.girard(at)calcvados.chambagri.fr | Caen (14) |
| Grégory Véricel | INRA | gregory.vericel(at)toulouse.inra.fr | Toulouse (31) |
| Rémy Ballot | INRA | remy.ballot(at)grignon.inra.fr | Grignon (78) |
Spam protection: To use these addresses, replace (at) with @
The yield target is among other things a basis for defining the technical management of crops (forecast nitrogen dose, plant protection...). In addition to the farmer's objectives, the yield target must, to be realistic, be consistent with the yield potential of the plot. The yield potential depends on (1) the pedoclimatic context, (2) the cropping history of the plot, (3) the knowledge / mastery / experience of the producer, and (4) the available production means (genetic material, inputs, machinery...). While the first two elements are rather fixed, the last two are subject to change. The yield potential of a plot is therefore not fixed, and the yield target can evolve over time. Moreover, yield also shows interannual variability linked to climate variability. This variability implies defining a yield target corresponding to the yield achieved at least 2 years out of 3 over the last 10 years for example, or the average yield achieved over the last 5 years excluding extremes.
Implementation period On established crop
Spatial scale of implementation Plot
Application of the technique to...
All crops: Sometimes difficult to generalize
Difficult to implement in the case of secondary crops occasionally present on the farm (limited yield history on plots with comparable potential) or even impossible in the case of new crops on the farm (no yield history).
All soil types: Easily generalizable
All climatic contexts: Easily generalizable
Regulation
2. Services provided by the technique
3. Effects on the sustainability of the cropping system
"Environmental" criteria
Effect on air quality: Increasing
acidification: NEUTRAL
GHG emissions: DECREASE
particulate emissions: DECREASE
Effect on water quality: Increasing
N.P.: DECREASE
pesticides: DECREASE
turbidity: DECREASE
Other: No effect (neutral)
Pollutant transfer to water (N, P, phyto...): Decrease
Defining yield targets consistent with the potential of the plots should avoid excess nitrogen inputs, thus reducing the risk of transfers to water. This can also help limit the risk of transfer of phosphorus or phytosanitary products if (i) the adaptation of tolerance regarding damage, harm or losses according to plot potential and/or (ii) the reduction of risks related to pests or lodging favored by excess fertilization leads to reduced use.
Pollutant transfer to air (N, P, phyto...): no effect (neutral)
Fossil energy consumption: Decrease
Defining yield targets consistent with the potential of the plots should avoid excess nitrogen inputs, thus reducing the average nitrogen dose applied per hectare and the fossil energy consumption linked to mineral fertilizer production.
GHG emissions: Decrease
Defining yield targets consistent with the potential of the plots should avoid excess nitrogen inputs, thus reducing the average nitrogen dose applied per hectare and greenhouse gas emissions from mineral fertilizer production.
"Agronomic" criteria
Productivity: Variable
Production quality: Variable
Defining a yield target consistent with the potential of the plot can help limit the risk of accidents related to overfertilization (lodging of cereals, oilseed rape…). If nitrogen fertilization is managed taking into account the climatic context of the year, yield should not be penalized.
Soil fertility: No effect (neutral)
Water stress: No effect (neutral)
Functional Biodiversity: No effect (neutral)
"Economic" criteria
Operating costs: Decreasing
Defining yield targets consistent with the potential of the plots should avoid excess nitrogen inputs, thus reducing the average nitrogen dose applied per hectare and related costs.
Mechanization costs: No effect (neutral)
If defining a yield target consistent with the potential of the plots reduces the average nitrogen dose applied, it complements splitting the total dose and thus does not reduce the number of passes.
Margin: Increasing
Defining yield targets consistent with the potential of the plots, combined with fertilization management considering the climatic context of the year, should reduce fertilization costs without penalizing yield.
Other economic criteria: No effect (neutral)
Fuel consumption: no effect (neutral)
If defining a yield target consistent with the potential of the plots reduces the average nitrogen dose applied, it complements splitting the total dose and thus does not reduce the number of passes.
"Social" criteria
Working time: No effect (neutral)
Observation time: No effect (neutral)
4. Organisms favored or disadvantaged
Favored pests
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Disadvantaged pests
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Favored Auxiliaries
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Disadvantaged auxiliaries
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Favored climatic and physiological accidents
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Details |
|---|
Disadvantaged climatic and physiological accidents
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Details |
|---|
5. For further information
- Adjust and split nitrogen inputs on winter cereals
- -Brachet A. (CA 49)
Anjou Cultures n°144, Press article, 2010
Agricultural Perspectives n°379, p47-49, Press article, 2011
- Construction of technical itineraries: Estimating potentials to set yield targets
- -Lorgeoux J. (Arvalis), Limaux F. (CRA Lorraine), Koller R. (ARAA)
Proceedings of the potential committee technical day "Experimenting on crop management: A new know-how for a changing agriculture" DERF - ACTA, Conference proceedings, 1996
6. Keywords
Pest control method:
Mode of action:
Type of strategy regarding pesticide use:
