In every region, during every season, for every crop—farmers are almost always thinking about crop protection. The interactions between weeds, disease, insect pests and weather pose formidable challenges to farmers. Each season presents unique circumstances that require a customized mix of solutions.
In every region, during every season, for every crop—farmers are almost always thinking about crop protection. The interactions between weeds, disease, insect pests and weather pose formidable challenges to farmers. Each season presents unique circumstances that require a customized mix of solutions.
In response to this evolving mix of challenges, farmers like Wendy Yeager and Antônio José Gazarini employ a wide range of crop protection solutions. Like most farmers around the world, they use a “toolbox” approach to keeping their crops thriving.
Annual Global Crop Damage
“In the developing world, 40 – 50 percent of all crop yields are lost to pests, crop diseases, or post-harvest losses. Even in the United States, that number is 20 – 25 percent.”
USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture
Because weather affects everything about farming, and because it constantly changes, farmers like Yeager and Gazarini must remain vigilant, combining preventative measures with real-time responses to ensure they meet yearly harvest goals.
“Insects and disease are my biggest concerns,” says Yeager, who farms in Orville, Alabama. “And they are never the same year to year because of weather conditions.”
Gazarini, who farms in Jatai, Brazil, also has concerns about weather. “We are challenged by the variation in yearly rainfall, as well as the occasional Indian summer.”
Gazarini, who farms in Jatai, Brazil, also has concerns about weather. “We are challenged by the variation in yearly rainfall, as well as the occasional Indian summer.”
Fortunately for farmers everywhere, today’s crop protection toolbox is the most effective and flexible blend of approaches ever. Traditional tools and basic agronomic practices like crop rotation, cover crops, tillage, and row spacing still feature prominently. Working alongside these methods are a suite of innovative technologies like predictive analytics, seed treatments, biotechnology, precision application tools, and targeted pesticide solutions.
“We have been blessed with such great technology,” says Yeager. “It has allowed us to improve our farming practices and increase our efficiency far better than I had ever dreamed.”
Yeager also notes that crop protection decisions are interconnected. She proceeds carefully, keeping every factor in mind. “From using grid sampling to save money on fertilizer applications, to using cover crops to decrease weed pressure—every decision we make will affect the next move we make.”
Gazarini points out that even during harvest, the culmination of the whole year’s efforts, farmers are already thinking about next year. Many farmers select their seeds for the following season at this time. “After each harvest, we evaluate what’s positive,” he says. “We look at seed type, nutrient management plans, disease resistance trends, and the availability of new technology.”
Gazarini points out that even during harvest, the culmination of the whole year’s efforts, farmers are already thinking about next year. Many farmers select their seeds for the following season at this time. “After each harvest, we evaluate what’s positive,” he says. “We look at seed type, nutrient management plans, disease resistance trends, and the availability of new technology.”
Gazarini credits a combination of tools for his crop protection successes. They include line sensors, auto-steer/GPS, and digital decision support tools, which help him gain as much efficiency as possible from his operation.
Gazarini credits a combination of tools for his crop protection successes. They include line sensors, auto-steer/GPS, and digital decision support tools, which help him gain as much efficiency as possible from his operation.
Yeager and her husband started their own operation from scratch just ten years ago. As the fourth generation in her family to farm, she has nearly 100 years of crop protection knowledge to call on.
In addition to the standard challenges farmers face, Yeager has recently been experiencing greater crop damage from local deer. The animals are especially fond of the leaves on soybean and peanut plants. Last year, shortly after planting no-till soybeans behind winter wheat, she lost an entire 40-acre field to deer. As a result, she makes her crop rotation decisions based on which fields are most susceptible to deer.
In addition to the standard challenges farmers face, Yeager has recently been experiencing greater crop damage from local deer. The animals are especially fond of the leaves on soybean and peanut plants. Last year, shortly after planting no-till soybeans behind winter wheat, she lost an entire 40-acre field to deer. As a result, she makes her crop rotation decisions based on which fields are most susceptible to deer.
Wendy Yeager
Orville, Alabama
Soybeans
Weeds and Deer
When it comes to fighting weeds, one of Yeager’s most valuable tools is row spacing, which describes how far apart the crops are planted from each other. This affects when plants reach canopy, the point at which their leaves touch, blocking out the sunlight from weeds growing underneath.
However, she is quick to point out that bad weather can ruin even the most well-thought-out approaches to crop protection. Everything can be great with her soybeans, but a late-season blast of rain and humidity might trigger a disease outbreak that requires application of a fungicide.
At times like those, she may face a decision between spraying and losing her crop.
At times like those, she may face a decision between spraying and losing her crop.
At the most basic level, weeds are just plants in the wrong place, competing with crops for valuable resources like sunlight, water, and soil nutrients. In response to the weed pressures they face, both Yeager and Gazarini use cover crops as part of their weed management plans.
The interesting thing about their choice is that cover crops are effective at fighting weeds for both of them, but for different reasons.
In Alabama, Yeager uses cereal rye as a winter cover crop. The edible grass provides excellent weed control, because it spreads rapidly throughout fields, preventing unwanted weeds from having space to germinate and proliferate.
In Brazil, Gazarini integrates livestock into his row crop operation, so he needs winter forage for his cattle. He uses two crops in particular, both of which deliver benefits. Brachiaria provides weed suppression effects as a cover crop after summer corn, and crotalaria offers a measure of resistance to nematodes, or roundworms, which are a primary pest on his soybeans.
In Brazil, Gazarini integrates livestock into his row crop operation, so he needs winter forage for his cattle. He uses two crops in particular, both of which deliver benefits. Brachiaria provides weed suppression effects as a cover crop after summer corn, and crotalaria offers a measure of resistance to nematodes, or roundworms, which are a primary pest on his soybeans.
Antônio José Gazarini
Jatai, Brazil
Soybeans
Weeds
Nematodes (roundworms)
In response to the nematodes, and to supply forage for his cattle, Gazarini incorporates crotalaria into winter cover crop mix. This offers a measure of resistance, especially to the root-knot nematode varieties. It also helps reduce weed pressure.
Yeager knows there are no days off in crop protection, and planning is vital. So is prevention.
“Our saying is start clean and stay clean,” she adds, referring to her cover crop and row spacing practices, both designed to prevent weeds from taking root in her fields. Add to that a healthy dose of scouting, predictive analytics, digital decision support tools, and advanced imaging technologies from drones and satellites, and you start to build a picture of modern crop protection.
“You gotta think ahead before you even put the seed in the ground,” says Yeager.
“You gotta think ahead before you even put the seed in the ground,” says Yeager.
Another important technology she mentions is GPS-guidance on her tractor. The precision she has gained since installing this technology has had a dramatic impact. When she is planting, applying fertilizer, or spraying, that precision helps her be more efficient, saving her money and fuel along the way. And fewer passes in her tractor means fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Yeager and Gazarini have a lot in common with other farmers around the world. They spend a lot of time thinking about crop protection, and they do everything they can to prepare their crops, but they also know that sometimes, Mother Nature wins and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Nevertheless, they wake up every day and go back out to their fields, trying to figure out how to make next year’s harvest just a little better.
That’s Modern Agriculture—farmers around the world using advanced technology combined with generations’ worth of wisdom.
Related Articles
Carbon emissions contribute to a changing climate, but modern farming technology strives to help reduce these emissions. Discover how emerging innovations like satellites are helping farmers to protect our planet.