Comparing the profitability of first wheat crops grown with different crop establishment systems both on farms and in a replicated trial in Ireland Article uri icon

description

  • In recent years there has been an increase in the interest in, and use of, non-inversion crop establishment systems. Growers mainly adopt these systems to reduce crop establishment costs and labour demand. Despite these systems being successfully operated in drier climates, limited research indicates these systems may be challenged with poorer establishment, inconsistent yields and increased pressure from grass weeds in wetter climates, possibly impacting on the financial performance of these systems. The suitability of conventional replicated trials for extrapolating performance to farm level is frequently questioned for systems-type research. Therefore, research was undertaken to compare the performance of plough, min-till and direct drill systems growing crops of first winter wheat, using both a replicated field trial and an on-farm trial. In the replicated trial, where all management (except the herbicide regime) was identical between system treatments, there was no significant difference in gross margin. In the on-farm study, which monitored 21 fields per year (seven of each system), there were significant differences in outputs due to yield differences. Direct drill farms tended to have lower yields and a lower spend on inputs, which combined with lower crop establishment costs, compensated for the lower yields, resulting in similar gross margins as the other systems. Similar gross margins between systems indicate sustainability issues such as weed control and soil quality maintenance, and the impact of future climate change on non-inversion systems should determine which systems are adopted in the long term.

publication date

  • 2025