ICM

Integrated crop management systems balance the demands of the consumer for high quality produce with the needs of the farmer to make a profit, and the desire of both to protect the environment.

To investigate integrated farming techniques at a time when little was known about it, three organisations decided to intermix their expertise in farming, crop protection and plant nutrition in a combined farm scale experiment. The Focus On Farming Practice Project (FOFP) was the result. They appointed a Project Manager and have sponsored and driven this project literally "putting their money where their mouths were".

With the completion of the ninth year of the project it was felt that the initial questions about integrated farming had been answered, and that this area of study should be concluded. The three sponsor companies are justifiably proud of what has been achieved and this report sets out to cover just some of the findings of FOFP 1993 - 2002.