Elements and Performance Criteria
- Select crop species and variety
- Establish production targets for each crop type, consistent with marketing and enterprise objectives
- Assess and select crop types and varieties for their market potential and gross margin returns for the farm environment
- Select most profitable cultural practices and rotations, consistent with disease and pest management strategies, available machinery resources, and management for sustainability of resources
- Assess technology to ensure most efficient performance of operations
- Identify production risks for each crop and determine strategies to address these
- Identify environmental risks and develop appropriate strategies
- Establish yield potential and quality specification for crop
- Source relevant benchmark yields, where available, to assist setting target yields
- Analyse past production records and determine the key determinants of yield
- Use appropriate available models for calculating water use efficiency or other key determinants of yield to assist in setting target yields
- Establish quality specifications and target yields for all crops
- Prepare crop program
- Assess proposed crop land areas for nutrient, pest and disease status, water reserves, tillage requirements, and other factors before selecting crop variety
- Use records of chemical use for planning to reduce chemical resistance
- Select crop variety and plan paddock preparation, planting, fertilising and other treatments
- Determine optimum timing of planting, applications and treatments and prepare calendar of operations
- Determine cash flow budget for the cropping program
- Review production plan
- Plan logistical arrangements related to harvesting, transportation, marketing and other key production cycle operations
- Plan and check machinery and equipment requirements for the crop production cycle
- Assess work health and safety requirements of the production plan
- Identify and plan labour requirements for the crop production cycle
- Identify seed, fertiliser, pest and disease treatments and other input requirements
- Establish record keeping system provide data for the analysis of crop performance, and to meet other statutory requirements including records of chemical use
- Review and amend production plan and documented as a final plan