Presentation title, Arial 32pt · 2015-06-11 · • Anchorage for roots • Water and nutrient inputs augmented by management . Agricultural Land Classification • Based on various

Production Functions

Jack Hannam

2 March 2015 Dirt Science Course

Food and biomass production

http://www.newenergyfarms.com/

• Growing medium for

plant growth (crops,

grass, timber,

medicinal plants)

70% agricultural land

CEH, 2011

water

nutrients

Physical media

• Water availability

• Nutrient provision and cycling

• Physical properties (influencing above)

• Biological properties (influencing above)

• Anchorage for roots

• Water and nutrient inputs augmented by management

Agricultural Land Classification

• Based on various agricultural limitations:

• Soil

– Texture and structure

– Depth and stoniness

– Chemical properties

• Climate

– Rainfall and temp

• Landscape

– Relief & slope gradient

– flooding

• Interacting factors

– Soil wetness/drought

– Soil erosion

Keay et al., 2012

a) £ 2.6 billion

b) £ 3.6 billion

c) £ 4.6 billion

d) £ 5.6 billion

What was the total income from

farming in the UK in 2013?

What was the total income from

farming in the UK in 2013?

a) £ 2.6 billion

b) £ 3.6 billion

c) £ 4.6 billion

d) £ 5.6 billion

Defra, 2014 Defra, 2014

GLC-SHARE, FAO, FAOSTAT (2014)

Land surface under agriculture = 38.5%

Global yield trends

Ray et al. Nature Comms. 2012; doi:10.1038/ncomms2296

Need for increased crop production...

Patrick Gerland et al. Science 2014;346:234-237

9 billion 2050

Will crop production keep up? –

requirement to double yield by 2050

Ray et al, (2013) PLoS ONE 8(6): e66428

Major challenges, I mean,

REALLY big....

1. Bring marginal land into production

2. Increase productivity on agricultural land

3. Improve yields through crop improvement

(e.g. GM) and management (e.g. pest

control)

4. Reduce food “demand” by managing waste

within the supply chain and dietary change

Environmen

57 % of the overall Utilized Agricultural Area in the EU is classified as LFA [LFA criteria are currently under review]

Yield gaps (Maize +Wheat + Rice)

Mueller et al. Nature 490, 254-257 (2013) doi:10.1038/nature11420

How to do it?

• Sustainable intensification

– Increase productivity whilst minimising

environmental impact

– Launch of Defra SI platform in 2014 (£4.5

million over 3 years)

• Yes, but how to do it? – any suggestions?

Soil focused approaches

• Agroecology – using less external inputs (eg

pest control products, nutrients) – soil

management central to this

• Agri-technology (precision farming)

• Whole farm management

• Balancing soil functions and services!

water

nutrients

Physical media

• SMART targeting

of inputs (at

different scales)

• Promoting water

and nutrient

balances – good

soil structure,

encouraging

nutrient cycling etc

Soil focused

approaches

Potential SOC changes with

conversion from full till to no till

Ogle et al., Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 149 (2012) 37– 49

Corn residue C

SOC stocks

Precision farming

Electrical conductivity

Hannam et al, 2014 Hunt et al., Remote Sens. 2010, 2(1), 290-305;

GNDVI

GNDVI = 0.50 + 0.16 LAI, r2= 0.85

Additional pressures

• Climate change

• Water & nutrient scarcity (e.g peak phosphorus)

• Competing land uses (energy crops, urbanisation)

• Land degradation

• Trade-offs with other soil functions and services

• Up-scaling interventions

• Barriers to the implementation of approaches (socio-economic and political)

+2 deg C increase

1981-2010 – ensemble model

Asseng et al., 2014 Nature Climate Change

Yield responses to climate change

water

nutrients

Physical media

Soil responses to

climate change

Soil carbon - decreasing?

Soil biology - temperature responses and knock-on effects for nutrient cycling

Water regime – too much & too little

Phosphorous scarcity

Cordell et al. 2011, Chemosphere, 84, 6, 747 - 758

Energy crops

http://www.newenergyfarms.com/

Rowe et al., 2009 Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Bob Palmer Bob Palmer

Final thoughts

• Closing yield gaps is challenged by the potential increase in

environmental degradation

• Land suitability/ environmental constraints

• Production responses are spatially variable

• Uncertainly in impacts of soil management interventions

(also linked to point above)

• Balancing other functions and services is required (systems

approaches) to ensure holistic ecosystem service provision

– “multifunctional agriculture”

• You are already contributing to solutions through your

research!