Field Crop Production - Approaching Change

Table of Contents

1. The Systems Approach
2. Components of a Crop Production System
3. Available in Published Version of Field Crop Production

The Systems Approach

A crop production system includes all of the components that you can control while growing crops, such as production practices, products used and soil characteristics.

To maintain production at profitable levels, you must consider a conservation crop production system. Careful attention to each component of a conservation crop production system will ensure both profitability and environmental responsibility.

Develop a system that works on your farm. Start by carefully analyzing the following:

• topography,
• soil type, and
• livestock requirement

Figure 1. Components of a crop production system: weeds, rotation, tillage, residue, fertility, cover crops, disease, pests, soil moisture, varieties.

Components of a Crop Production System    

Get technical assistance to understand the possible effects of each change in production. This will ensure that change is profitable and effective.

• There are many of the components of the system that you can control.
• Each component affects the production system and the system affects each component. Each time you change one part of your system, such as tillage or herbicide, there may be a chain reaction. Consider how a change might affect other components.
• If you use a combination of practices and products that are complementary, crop yields will increase.
• Considering the impact on other system components applies to any new practices no matter what tillage system is used.
• Tillage is only one crop production component. Changing tillage will not necessarily change yields more than a change to another component.
• The application of this approach to new crop production practices improves the chances of good results.

Available in Published Version of Field Crop Production

• The System in Action: Examples of the Systems Approach

Best Management Practices: Field Crop Production