Yield Stability in Winter Wheat Production: A Survey on German Farmers’ and Advisors’ Views

Janna Macholdt,Bernd Honermeier

doi:10.3390/agronomy7030045

Abstract

Most of the available research studies have focused on the production of high grain yields of wheat and have neglected yield stability. However, yield stability is a relevant factor in agronomic practice and, therefore, is the focus of this comprehensive survey. The aim was to first describe the importance of yield stability as well as currently used practical management strategies that ensure yield stability in wheat production and secondly, to obtain potential research areas supporting yield stability in the complex system of agronomy. The target groups were German farmers with experience in wheat production and advisors with expertise in the field of wheat cultivation or research. A sample size of 615 completed questionnaires formed the data basis of this study. The study itself provides evidence that the yield stability of winter wheat is even more important than the amount of yield for a large proportion of farmers (48%) and advisors (47%). Furthermore, in the view of the majority of the surveyed farmers and advisors, yield stability is gaining importance in climate change. Data analysis showed that site adapted cultivar choice, favorable crop rotations and integrated plant protection are ranked as three of the most important agronomic management practices to achieve high yield stability of wheat. Soil tillage and fertilization occupied a middle position, whereas sowing date and sowing density were estimated with lower importance. However, yield stability is affected by many environmental, genetic and agronomic factors, which subsequently makes it a complex matter. Hence, yield stability in farming practice must be analyzed and improved in a systems approach.

Highlights

In Germany, winter wheat is the main cereal crop grown on 3.2 million hectares (54% of the cereal production area), which is nearly one third of the arable land [1]
With a particular regard to climate change, the focus may shift from only targeting high grain yields to focusing on yield stability
Farmers were asked how important yield stability is in their wheat production and advisors were asked how important yield stability is for the farmers they advise (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

In Germany, winter wheat is the main cereal crop grown on 3.2 million hectares (54% of the cereal production area), which is nearly one third of the arable land [1]. With a particular regard to climate change, the focus may shift from only targeting high grain yields to focusing on yield stability. The driving forces for this change are due to environmentally-forced growing conditions, such as the incidence of early summer drought, late frost or torrential rainfall [3]. These future climatic changes and increasing climatic variability are already scientifically proven within specific scenarios for German field conditions [4,5]. Outside of Germany, an increasing demand of yield stable wheat cultivars that are adapted to climate change has been observed [6,7,8]. Apart from cultivar selection, there are currently no empirical studies focusing on yield stability in a systems approach taking different agronomic management factors into account

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion