Back in the early 1980s, indeed even earlier, the then ICI chemical company promoted best practice husbandry in winter cereals through its 10t club. Winter cereal production was relatively new at the time in Ireland and the project targeted the production of high field yields through the identification of practices that were associated with high farm yields.

We had just moved to intensive cereal production. Prior to that there was limited capability to control foliar diseases and new fungicide technology opened the door to achieving consistently high yields. At that time, yield levels of 3.0-3.5 t/ac were regarded as good for winter wheat, but the new genetics and technology of the day offered more.

The 10t club sought to identify and document the practices used by growers who achieved high yields. The yield goal of 10 t/ha equated to 4 t/ac, a yield level that was regarded as a fairytale objective at the time. This level of yield was seldom reported and generally only associated with pet fields.

Target hit

The 10t club served its purpose. Husbandry intensified, mainly through the use of additional plant protection products (PPPs)and targeted nutrition. Our tillage land was in generally good shape at the time and there was power in the ground. Machines were still relatively small and light. A good autumn in 1983 saw winter and spring crops planted in good conditions. Then, a dry growing season for much of the summer of 1984 laid the foundation for what was an exceptional year for all Irish grain crops.

The 10t target was hit and beaten in 1984, which set a new standard and expectation for grain yields in Ireland. The 10t club faded into obscurity. That was nearly 40 years ago so is it time to consider a new farm target yield which better represents the genetics and technology of today?

Achieving a 10t crop was a huge accolade at that time. Such yields were not easily achievable in other countries and were possible in Ireland because of our long summer days and our relatively fresh ground at that time.

All crops benefited from the good growing season in 1984 and they went on to produce record yields. Barley and oat yields also set new standards that year, winter and spring. Unfortunately, yield levels have not moved on that much since then.

Nowadays we have better genetics and PPPs. We have varieties that have produced verifiable yields of over 6.5t/ac and we invest heavily in crop protection. Yet our yield levels are still normally closer to 10t than to 15 t/ha.

Targeting 15t

It is well past the time to consider 15t/ha as an achievable yield for winter wheat. We should also be looking at potential yield levels of 13t/ha for winter barley and even 11t/ha for spring barley and wheat.

What might a 15t club find today? We know a lot of the answers already. We know the benefit of rotation and good break crops. More growers know the benefit of beans as a driver of yield potential in the following crop. We know the benefits of good weed, pest and disease control. And catch crops are increasingly used to help all aspects of our soils. So, most of the ingredients for 15t yields are predictable and likely to be repeated across farms.

I believe that a 15t club challenge will show soil management as a key ingredient in the achievement of high yield potential. And healthy soils may also require lower input levels while delivering higher yield potential. “More output with less input” is the essence of improved efficiency and sustainability. High yield potential is our only natural advantage and a 15t club would help to restore that potential. Higher yields also mean a higher return on investment in disease and weed control.

Over 6t/ac

While 15t/ha is just over 6t/ac, we already know that some Irish fields have produced 16t/ha (6.5 t/ac) of winter wheat. The world record yield is 17.39 t/ha or 6.93 t/ac. So we have the genetics, PPPs and nutrients, but our soils are letting us down.

That lack of soil health – ground that is alive with all kinds of soil-living organisms, that has good structure and is loaded with available nutrients – remains a major obstacle to achieving this level of output.

If we are to seriously look towards a 15t/ha target yield, we need to feed our soils with organic matter as well as artificial inputs.

We have begun this journey with the help of straw incorporation, catch crops and the application of organic manures.

It will take time to get every square metre humming so if you didn’t start to improve your soils a decade ago, start now. We need the 15t equivalent to prosper.