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WHEAT FARMING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

New technology has made wheat farming in the UK more productive. However production has to be sustainable. Productivity today cannot be enjoyed at the expense of production tomorrow.

Integrated farm management

'Integrated farm management' (IFM) means managing crop production for profit as well as considering its impact on the environment. IFM is a whole farm system providing efficient and profitable production that is environmentally responsible. It works by incorporating natural processes into modern farming techniques to ensure high standards of stewardship and environmental care. Farmers that practise IFM need to demonstrate improvement to the quality of 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. A well-planned crop rotation helps reduce input requirements (e.g. fertilisers), pollution and soil erosion. It can help to boost profit and enhance landscape and biodiversity.

Soil management

Good soil management improves soil structure and reduces environmental problems. 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. Reducing the intensity of cultivation can have economic and environmental benefits.

Planting

Choosing the right variety of seed, and when it is sown, it can reduce crop protection costs.

Weeds

Cultural and chemical control methods are used to manage weeds across the crop rotation.

Pests

Managing rather than simply controlling pests is important.

Diseases

Crop planning, variety choice, husbandry and fungicides all help to minimise disease.

Water

Crop production and the inputs used (e.g. fertilisers, pesticides) can affect the quality of water in the environment. Any nutrients in fertilisers not taken up by plants may be washed out of the soil by rain and enter streams and rivers ('leaching'). Pesticides can also be washed into the water. The extent depends on weather conditions during the growing season. However, correctly fertilised cereals present a low risk of nitrate leaching loss and, in the past 10 years, phosphate levels in water have declined by 10%. The EU Drinking Water Directive imposes stringent standards on permitted pesticide levels, and very few pesticides commonly found in water samples are used on cereals.

Nutrition

The aim is to maximise the use of applied fertiliser and soil reserves while minimising environmental losses. Fertilisers 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.

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Fertilisers

Fertilisers are substances added to the soil to increase the yield of the crop. When plants are harvested, the nutrients are removed with them. In a natural ecosystem, the plants would eventually die and decay, with the nutrients being returned to the soil. Farmers need to use fertilisers containing these nutrients to maintain productivity year after year.

Fertilisers work by providing one or more of the essential ingredients that plants need for growth: nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K). Plants need nutrients as well as carbon dioxide and water for photosynthesis. Plants also need to make proteins and nucleic acids. Macronutrients are needed in relatively large quantities, e.g. nitrogen to make amino acids.

Micronutrients are needed in very small amounts. If plants lack these nutrients when they are growing, they show specific deficiency symptoms.

Nutrient	Use	Deficiency symptoms
Nitrogen	Growth, production of proteins and nucleic acids	Stunted growth, brown older leaves
Phosphorus	Proteins, nucleic acids, ATP	Poor root growth, dead yellow spots on leaves
Potassium	Enzyme activator	Poor growth, dehydration, small purple leaves

Farmers can use organic fertilisers or inorganic fertilisers.

Inorganic	Organic
Manufactured, e.g. ammonium nitrate	Animal manure, sewage sludge
Contains concentrated amounts of macronutrients	May contain important micronutrients
More easily leached from the soil	Adds organic matter which improves soil structure
Can be applied in smaller amounts because it is concentrated	Manure is a good way of recycling the manure produced on mixed farms
Easy to handle and spread on the fields	Smelly!

The application of fertilisers in farming is closely monitored by the farmer and subject to a number of regulations. This is because the incorrect application of nitrogen and phosphorus can have a negative environmental impact.

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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 can take steps to reduce crop impact. For example, leaving unsown patches in winter cereal fields helps birds such as skylarks use the fields to find food and raise more young later in the season. Also, 'beetle banks' (uncultivated strips of land which lie across the field) encourage beetles, providing food for birds.

Uncropped Land

Some farmers may choose not to cultivate part of the arable land they own. This may be because the land is unprofitable to produce arable crops on (for instance, if the soil involved is less suitable) or it may be because the farmer recognizes and wants to capture environmental benefits from leaving the land fallow. In 2009, Defra estimated that about 4% of total UK croppable area was left uncropped.

Environmentally sensitive areas (ESA)

There are currently 22 areas in the UK covering around 10% of agricultural land. Farmers are paid if they manage their land in ways that will conserve the traditional environment.

Environmental stewardship

This is a new scheme which provides funding to farmers and other land managers in England to 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 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 other than agriculture.

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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 biodegradable packaging material.

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