1. Danish agriculture and the role of field trials
IAMFE
Skejby, Denmark
1th July 2008
Carl Aage Pedersen
Danish Agricultural Advisory Service, National Centre, Aarhus

2. Agenda Danish Agriculture Danish Agricultural Advisory System
070910
Agenda
Danish Agriculture
Danish Agricultural Advisory System
The role of field trials

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8. Number of farms in Denmark
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Number of farms in Denmark
Farms, no.
Full time
Part time
Landbrugsraadet, sept. 05

9. The size of farms in Denmark has grown
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The size of farms in Denmark has grown

10. Increasing the demand for usable technology
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Increasing the demand for usable technology

11. Increasing yield trend has stopped in Denmark (and other countries?)
Quotas on N-application
15 below optimum
No regulations 16

12. Agenda Danish Agriculture Danish Agricultural Advisory System
070910
Agenda
Danish Agriculture
Danish Agricultural Advisory System
The role of field trials

13. The Danish Model Theory Practice
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The Danish Model
Theory Practice
Research and other sources of knowledge 1,200 persons
Danish Agricultural Advisory Service, National Centre
1 unit, 550 people
16 Agricultral colleges
38 Local advisory centres
2,900 people
50,000 farmers
Average farm size 57 ha
Number of employees within the agricultural sector: 186,900

14. Danish Agricultural Advisory Service
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Danish Agricultural Advisory Service
38 local agricultural advisory centres and 1 national centre
Turnover: DKK 1.8 billion
3½ thousand employees
Denmark’s largest consultancy

15. Danish Agricultural Advisory Service
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Danish Agricultural Advisory Service

16. General Management and Centre Management Company Secretariat & Science
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Day-to-Day Management and organisation
General Management and Centre Management
Danish Agricultutural Advisory Service,
National Centre
Company Secretariat & Science
Communications
Human Resources
Finance
Centre IT
Staff functions
Head departments and departments with direct advisory service
Business Fields
Green Plantprotection
Development
Team R A/S
Danish Pig Production
Poultry
AgroTech A/S
Danish Cattle Federation
Fur Animals
NAV
Crop Production
Horses
NORFOR
Organic Farming
International
Danish Young Farmers & Danish 4H
KFC
Planning & Environment
DLBR Advice
RYK
Law & Accounting
Horticulture
DLBR Certification
Web & IT
Koldkærgaard Conference centre

17. Farmers’ demand for advisory services
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Farmers’ demand for advisory services
Farmers of today are:
Farm managers
Raw material producers
Nature managers
Livestock keepers
Employers

18. Relations between DAAS and farmers
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Relations between DAAS and farmers
Farmers are:
Owners Users Customers
Key words:
Best and cheapest advisory services Impartialness Non-profit

19. Tasks of the National Centre Dissemination of Knowledge
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Tasks of the National Centre Dissemination of Knowledge
LandbrugsInfo
105,000 documents
27,000 page references per day
55,000 visitors per week
50 interactive programs
plant protection
calculation of animal units and area requirement
weather forecast and weather radar via sms
2.3 mill. people visit LandbrugsInfo and Landmand.dk every year

20. Development work Mutually binding advisory services
INTEGRATED FARM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
PDA Pig (PDA program)
EasyCow (PDA program)
Quality management and documentation
Breeding
development, cattle

21. Tasks of the National Centre Trials and studies
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Tasks of the National Centre Trials and studies
National Field Trials
FarmTest
Project farms

22. Agenda Danish Agriculture Danish Agricultural Advisory System
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Agenda
Danish Agriculture
Danish Agricultural Advisory System
The role of field trials

23. Why on-farm field trials?
Pesticides, varieties, and strategies are tested in ”real life”
They generate results that are directly distributed to the farmers and immediately implemented by the farmers
They provide ”the missing link” between research and the farmers

24. Research and field trials

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27. Support from farmers
The driving force is the farmers’ need for results and new knowledge
The farmers and/or the top management must be willing to invest in on-farm trials

28. Results and reporting
Single trial results are published currently in LandbrugsInfo (updated within minutes after data reception).
Results from variety trials are presented in SortInfo
Series results are published when all single trial results have been validated
The annual report is published in
December

30. Why field trials? Opera Chemical company: 11 field trials:
Impartial field trials are the only way to obtain knowledge on varieties, pesticides and dosages
Opera
(fungizide)
Winter wheat:
1 l/ha
Chemical company:
11 field trials:

31. Producer (Chemical company)
A theoretical example
Who is having the benefit of spraying?
DKK
per ha
Producer (Chemical company)
Tax
Retailer
Net for the farmer
Treatment Index

32. Who is having the benefit of spraying?
A theoretical example
Who is having the benefit of spraying?
DKK
per ha
Political goal
Producer
Tax
Retailer
Company advise?
Net for the farmer
1,55
Treatment Index

33. Spring barley towards new goals80 60
Costs
Yield, hkg per ha 40 20
Net
yield
Troon
Power
Power. Optimized
input

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Conclusions
Results from local field trials are essential for the farmers to optimize the production
Output (yield)
Input (seed, fertilizer, pesticides, machinery)
Crop rotation and cultivation
Design, carrying out and reporting should be impartial.

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Thank you very much for your attention! Have an interesting and enjoyable conference!