Essential Tips for Increasing Crop Yield

Population growth and climate change are two of the biggest challenges to attain food security for all. According to a United Nations projection, the global population will be around 10 billion by 2050, almost 3 billion more than in 2010, putting a huge strain on resources.

Challenges to Food Security

We will need 56% more food to feed this population while preventing the expansion of agricultural land from 50% (vegetated land currently in use for agriculture) to save an area of forest nearly twice the size of our country. Failure to contain incursion into forest land for agriculture will lead to catastrophic results with global warming levels crossing the 2^oC-mark necessary to avoid the worst climate impact.

Approximately, one-quarter of food produced for human consumption goes to the dustbin. Loss and waste occur all along the food chain, from farm to the table. A 25% reduction in food loss and waste by 2050 would close the food gap by 12% which will go a long way in attaining food security.

However, there is no single action that can work like magic against these odds. Attaining food security requires a multi-pronged approach which would include increasing crop yield without increasing the area for farming and containing emission levels to reduce natural catastrophes.

Increasing Crop Yield

Crop yield is the measure of the amount of crop that is produced per unit of land area. Factors such as soil quality, seed selection, availability of water and irrigation facilities, pest and disease management, fertiliser application, and climatic conditions affect farming productivity while implementing precision agriculture techniques can lead increased crop yield.

Some important steps that farmers can take to increase farming productivity and their incomes along the way are listed below.

Soil Management

Soil quality and fertility plays an outsized role in determining crop yields. It is the foundation for producing crops. Soil provides nutrients (minerals, organic matter etc), water, and support to the plants. Therefore, maintaining soil health and fertility is critical for increasing crop yield and it can be ascertained by testing the soil on a regular basis. Checking for pH and nutrient levels will help farmers take corrective action to not only increase but protect their crop yields. They can take appropriate measures to deal with salinity, acidity, or alkalinity of soil.

Soil testing would let farmers make informed decisions about the choice and cost to grow one or another crop or plant. Incorporating best practices to prevent soil erosion by using methods like mulching, cover cropping, contour ploughing along with adding organic matter naturally protects the quality and fertility of the soil.

Quality of Seeds

The quality and selection of seeds have far-reaching impact on the overall crop yield. Governments and private players are continuously investing in research and development of seeds with higher yields which require less nutrient and are pest tolerant.

Farmers should opt for high quality, certified seeds that have better germination rates, purity, and resistance to pests and diseases. These seeds may be more expensive, but they ensure uniform and healthy crop production and reduce the need for replanting or fertiliser application. Proper storage of seeds and treating them with fungicides or insecticides are basic steps which protect the health and safety of seeds.

Irrigation Facilities

Irrigation is an old technique, going back thousands of years of years, to improve farming productivity. Irrigation supplements rainfall and makes it possible to grow crops through the year but is critical for areas with low or erratic rainfall or for crops that require more water. Irrigation provides crops with the required amount of water directly affecting the development of plants and the resulting crop yield.

Farmers can choose methods like sprinkler irrigation, micro-irrigation, drip irrigation, sub-irrigation based on their need using surface water sources like rivers, lakes, reservoirs; ground water sources like springs or wells; or treated water. But it is important to conserve water and avoid wastage, leaching, run-off, salinisation.

Integrating Pest & Disease Management

Integrated pest and disease management forms part of crop yield tips for farmers. They can use pest and disease resistant or tolerant varieties in their fields and resort to a combination of cultural, biological, and chemical methods to control pests. Crop rotation, intercropping, sanitation, pruning are the cultural methods that prevent pest buildup. Predators, parasitoids, pathogens, or botanicals form effective biological pest and disease management system. Chemical methods include applying pesticides and fungicides at the right time in the right quantity to maintain optimum plant health leading to increase crop yield.

Continuous monitoring is integral part of this framework to detect and take corrective action to protect farm productivity.

Fertiliser Application

Fertilisers are essential to improve soil fertility, increase farm productivity, and enhance crop quality. Historically, fertilisers were natural or organic, made of compost, animal manure, human manure, harvested minerals, crop rotations, and byproducts of human-nature industries. But now they are mostly synthetic in nature. Most commonly used fertilisers focus on three main macro nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium with the occasional addition of supplemental micronutrients in the right proportion.

Fertilisers can be administered in a variety of ways: through dry or pelletised or liquid application processes, using large agricultural equipment, or hand-tool methods. However, it is important to note that applying too much or too little fertiliser can have negative effects on crop yield, soil health, and the environment. Even different areas in a single field may have different needs for fertilisation, which is why selective use of fertilisers is advised.

Accurate Weather Forecast

Climatic conditions affect the average crop yield per acre and the output may vary despite the same quality of soil and the same species of seeds planted. This makes accurate weather forecast, its dissemination to farmers at the right time and sharing actionable insight make it crucial to increase crop yield. Accurate prediction of weather gives farmers a chance to take preventive measures to protect their crops from possible damages caused by weather extremes. Meanwhile, high-precision weather forecasts can help the farmer decide the crop, timing, agricultural methods for their farm that can contribute to increasing crop yields.

Precision Agriculture Technologies

This is an umbrella term which includes technologies like remote sensing devices, GIS, smart irrigation systems, and precision planting systems. These help farmers take both proactive and reactive measures to protect and increase crop yield by monitoring crop conditions, adjusting inputs, and optimising resource use. These technologies reduce waste and increase efficiency by informing them of various conditions which they can use to make smarter decisions regarding planting, irrigating, fertilising, and harvesting.

By following these crop yield tips, a farmer can significantly increase crop yield and ensure a more productive and profitable farming season.

Disclaimer:

“We do not assume any liability for any actions undertaken based on the information provided here. The information gathered from various sources and are displayed here for general guidance and does not constitute any professional advice or warranty of any kind.”