WHEAT FARMING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Wheat farming in the UK has become more productive as new technology is used.
But production has to be sustainable. It's no good producing a lot of wheat
today if it badly affects the land (and your production) tomorrow. 'Integrated
farming' means managing crop production for profit as well as the environment.
Integrated farm management
Integrated farm management (IFM) incorporates natural processes into modern
farming techniques, so there is good production but the environment is also
looked after. Farmers have to demonstrate improvements to the quality of the
soil, water, air, wildlife and the landscape. IFM involves:
Crop rotation: If crops are grown in the same place year
after year, pests and diseases can build up in the soil. 'Rotating' the crops –
or planting a different crop in the same area each year – helps to keep the soil
productive and improve the yield of the crop. A well-planned crop rotation can
reduce the amount of fertilisers needed, and cut down pollution and soil
erosion.
Soil management: The content of soil changes over the years
as crops and products (e.g. fertilisers, pesticides) are added to it, and crops
are removed during harvesting. Soil can also be eroded by water, especially if
the ground is sloping or the soil is sandy. Good soil management improves soil
structure and reduces environmental problems.
Planting: Choosing the right variety of seed, and when you
sow it, can cut down crop protection costs.
Weed and pests: It is important to manage them and not just
control them. Pesticides are used on UK crops including wheat, but the amount
used has fallen, as new products which can be used at lower doses become
available. There has also been a big drop in the use of older, more
environmentally-damaging pesticides. Today's farmers must balance using the
pesticides they need to give a good crop yield with protecting the environment.
Diseases: Good crop planning, choice and fungicides all help
to cut down disease.
Fertilisers: Fertilisers are added to the soil to increase
the yield of the crop. They work by providing one or more of the essential
ingredients that plants need for growth: nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and
potassium (K). Farmers may use organic fertilisers (e.g. manure, waste crops) or
inorganic products (e.g. ammonium nitrate). They have to be used carefully to
avoid polluting the environment. The chart shows the amount of different
fertilisers used on major crops over a year. Over the past 10 years, the use of
nitrogen fertiliser has remained fairly constant. The use of phosphate and
potassium fertilisers has gone down, as farmers try to keep costs down and
protect the environment.
Other environmental initiatives
There are also other initiatives which are helpful to the environment.
Encouraging biodiversity
All crops affect the biodiversity of an area, but farmers often take steps to
reduce the impact of their crops. For example, leaving unsown patches in winter
cereal fields helps birds such as skylarks to use the fields later in the season
to find food and raise more young. Also, the introduction of 'beetle banks'
(uncultivated strips of land which lie across the field) can encourage beetles,
providing food for birds.
Set-aside
Set-aside means land that farmers are not allowed to use for any agricultural
purpose. They are paid a subsidy in return. The set-aside land is undisturbed
for most of the year, which benefits bird, mammal and insect populations.
Environmentally sensitive areas (ESA)
There are currently 22 areas in the UK covering around 10% of agricultural
land. Farmers are paid if they enter into an agreement to manage their land in
ways that will conserve the traditional environment.
Environmental stewardship
This is a new agri-environment scheme which provides funding to farmers and
other land managers in England who deliver effective environmental management on
their land. Its main objectives are to:
- conserve wildlife (biodiversity)
- maintain and enhance landscape quality and character
- protect the historic environment and natural resources
- promote public access and understanding of the countryside.
Environmental stewardship has three elements:
- Entry Level Stewardship (ELS)
Open to all farmers and landowners
Simple and effective land management
- Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS)
Organic
strand of ELS
Open to all farmers not receiving Organic Farming Scheme
(OFS) aid
- Higher Level Stewardship (HLS)
Targeted
environmental management
Capital work plans
English woodland grant scheme
Launched in 2005, the scheme gives farmers grants to help plant woodland
trees or hedgerows on their land. Between 2000 and 2005, the Woodland Grant
Scheme supported the creation of 28,262ha of new woodland in England
(approximately 28 million new trees planted).
The creation of new woodlands and forests:
- provides economic returns, e.g. timber
- enhances the environment, e.g. the landscape
- provides new areas for recreation.
The Woodland Grant Scheme also aims to:
- encourage good management of forests and woodlands, including their
regeneration, particularly looking after ancient and semi-natural woodlands
- provide jobs and improve the economy of rural areas and other areas with
few other sources of economic activity
- provide a use for land instead of agriculture.
Cereal crops and greenhouse gases
Crops provide a 'sink' for carbon – photosynthesis 'fixes' carbon in plants
and carbon is returned to the soil in plant residues. The greenhouse gases
involved in global warming are nitrous oxides, methane and carbon dioxide. Less
than 1% of UK carbon dioxide emissions comes from agriculture.
Other uses for cereal crops
Sustainable development also involves finding new uses for cereal crops.
There is a lot of potential for using cereal crops for non-food uses, e.g. to
produce renewable fuel such as bio diesel and bio ethanol. The HGCA is one
organisation which awards funding to companies looking to develop non-food uses
for cereals. One company has used cereal crops to make sealants for the oil
exploration industry. Another has used wheat flour to make packaging material.
