Technology and Agriculture: History and Future
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS What were the most predominant crops in Ohio 100 years ago (1917)? What are the most predominant three crops in Ohio today? Why did these change? 2
Ohio land use over time Barley Wheat Oats Corn - Grain Corn - Silage Hay Alfalfa Soybeans Total Grain Crops Total + Hay 14,000,000 Sugarbeets Tobacco Harvested Land Area (acres) 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 1860 1910 1960 2010 4,000,000 2,000,000 0 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 3
Agricultural demographic has shifted in the 20 th century Was labor intensive, many small farms Relied heavily on animals (22 million) Five commodities per farm 21 st century demographics Small number of farms, one commodity per farm Fewer workers, 5 million tractors 4
Technological Advancements Mechanization in agriculture Less reliance on animals for farming Less need to produce feed (oats, hay) Increase in other crops (soybean) Use of tillage Early civilizations Thought to nourish the earth Ard (upper) and Roman plow (lower) 5
Results of Tillage Burying crop residue can increase microbial cycling and decomposition Incorporation of oxygen can stimulate microbial activity Increased residue mineralization Net release of nutrients available for uptake http://www.tikp.co.uk/knowledge/material-functionality/biodegradable/fibre-degradation/ 6
Modernized tillage Moldboard plow Jefferson John Deere Increased in use with the steam horse Early tractor 7
Unintended Consequences of Tillage Accelerated soil erosion Water Wind Increases exposure and susceptibility Surface sealing can occur Inhibit germination Decline in soil productivity Nutrient loss Soil C loss Compaction/ Structure Acidification Dust Bowl Tillage + Drought 8
1935: Soil Conservation Service -Now the NRCS 9
Till vs. No-till debate Maximum number of plows produced and sold in the 1950s- 1960s 75,000 to 140,000 annually Major topic for debate Hottest farming argument since the tractor challenged the horse Time Magazine 10
Evidence of the debate 11
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Northwest Ohio Tillage, 2006-2010 Tillage Type Corn Soybean Wheat Total No-Till 210,636* 979,917 303,438 1,493,991 Mulch-Till 133,098 139,203 23,201 295,501 Conventional 746,690 414,557 101,960 1,263,207 Total 1,090,424 1,533,676 428,599 3,052,700 *All values are the acres (1 acre = 1 football field) with this tillage employed in the Western Lake Erie Basin No-Tillage = acres in which the soil is not stirred and more than 30% residue is left at planting Mulch Tillage = acres in which the soil is stirred and which leaves more than 30% residue cover on the surface at planting Conventional tillage = acres stirred extensively (chiseling and disking, etc) such that there is less than 30% residue and/or clean till acres that have been moldboard plowed 13
What are other ways technology is used in agriculture? Discuss with two others about this question Try to come up with at least three items 14
What are other ways technology is used in agriculture? Optimizing production practices Planting date and seeding rate Variety selection Monitoring growth and development Weed, insect and disease management Integrated Pest Management Optimizing fertilizer use Fertilizer recommendation guidelines Fertilizer calculators Precision technology Vary application rates based on need Components of Precision Agriculture 15
Precision Agriculture 16
Production Practices Planting technology Create furrow with plow Hand plant Close furrow Mechanical planters 40 between each row Accommodate horses Tractors allowed for narrower row spacings 30 (corn, soybeans) 15 (soybeans) 7.5 (soybeans, wheat) More plants could be grown per acre farmed Less bare ground 17
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Precision Planting Technology Vacuum seed meter: https://www.google.com/paten ts/us6748885 19
What do we want from our seed? 20
What do we want from our seed? 1. Uniform, successful establishment 2. No weedy crops, diseased plants, or uneven maturity What makes a seed lot high quality? -the required cultivar (varietal purity) -free from weeds, other seed and inert matter (analytical purity) -good plant establishment (germination & vigor) - freedom from disease (tested & confirmed) 21
Crop Yield Gains and Biotechnology Yield of specific crops has increased over time 1 bu grain = 56 lbs for corn, 60 lbs for soybeans Improved breeding efforts Improved seed quality Improved production practices Corn, soybean, cotton, potato, papaya, squash, canola, alfalfa, apple, and sugarbeet (10 crop types) Open Pollinated Double Cross Single Cross Biotech/GMO Pre-GMO GMO Era Ohio Corn Grain Yield (bu/a) 200 180 y = 2.0715x - 4008.8 160 140 y = 1.6267x - 3118.4 120 100 80 y = 0.8959x - 1693.8 60 40 20 y = -0.5255x + 1047.7 0 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 Ohio Soybean Yield (bu/a) 60 y = 0.5556x - 1070.2 50 40 y = 0.3547x - 669.7 30 20 10 22 0 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
Components of an IPM program 1. Sampling and monitoring 2. Identification 3. Determine the need for control 4. Evaluate the control options available 5. Implement a control program 6. Evaluation and record-keeping 23
Initial Scouting Path Foot vs Aerial Provides overview of what is present Enables more focus on specific areas 24
Economic Threshold Control cost Crop value Potential pest damage Establishes a break-even value Use this to set the threshold value http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factshee ts/potato-leafhopper-alfalfa 25
Using forecasts What is the weather forecast? Conditions to favor pests? Conditions to cause nutrient runoff? www.wheatscab.psu.edu 26
Chemical Control Herbicide technology Salt (pre-roman) 2,4-D Many more chemistries (Hundreds of products)» Selective» Low use rates» Low environmental persistence Herbicide resistant crops Targeted insecticides and fungicides 27
There are 18 recognized modes of action for herbicides 28
Improved spray technologies Individual nozzle controls Drift reducing technology Specialized spray patterns Over-application (blue) and skipped areas (red) without nozzle control Over-application (blue) and skipped areas (red) with nozzle control 29
Fertilizers Haber-Bosch Process 30
Crop production Give every plant the best chance to grow unimpeded to maximize the yield it can produce Planting date Temperatures Precipitation Available light Use precision techniques to increase success Planting rate Is the number of plants optimum? Crop scouting We will hear more about technology use to optimize production during the session 31
Technology and Agriculture: History and Future