Developing Efficient Crop Production Systems

Land is initially the most limiting resource to consider in setting up a farm system aimed at maximizing returns. This is because soil, its topographical features, and its physical and chemical properties are largely fixed. There is little which can be done about them except to manage soil fertility and control erosion. Over the long run, crop production from any land tract will be directly influenced by the nature and character of the soils in that land tract. For this reason, the most basic step in initiating or redesigning a farming operation is to get an evaluation of the soil characteristics of a land tract which affect crop growth. Taking such information into account in laying out fields and developing cropping systems based on this ensures that land capability is not a major limitation to potential economic returns.