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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 45(6)

Lucerne improves some sustainability indicators but may decrease profitability of cropping rotations on the Jimbour Plain

R. B. Murray-Prior A C , J. Whish B , P. Carberry B and N. Dalgleish B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Muresk Institute, Curtin University of Technology, Northam, WA 6401, Australia.

B APSRU/CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: R.Murray-Prior@curtin.edu.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45(6) 651-663 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA03164
Submitted: 8 August 2003  Accepted: 3 June 2004   Published: 29 June 2005

Abstract

Long-run rotational gross margins were calculated with yields derived from biophysical simulations in a crop simulation model over a period of 100 years and prices simulated in @Risk based on subjective triangular price distributions elicited from the Jimbour Plain farmer group. Rotations included chickpeas, cotton, lucerne, sorghum, wheat and different lengths of fallow. The aim was to assess the profitability of rotations with and without lucerne. Output presented to the farmers included mean annual gross margins and distributions of gross margins with box and whisker plots found to be suitable. Mean–standard deviation and first- and second-degree stochastic dominance efficiency measures were also calculated. The paper outlines a method for combining biophysical and price simulations that can be understood by farmers. Including lucerne in the rotations improved some sustainability indicators but reduced profitability.

Additional keywords: APSIM, modelling rotations.


Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the contributions of the farmer members of the Jimbour Plain’s group (Glen, Jamie and Rob), Professor David Trechter for comments on this paper, and the assistance of Perry Poulton in developing and adapting Visual Basic macros. Thanks also to 2 anonymous referees for their helpful comments. An earlier version of the paper was presented at the 2003 Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Conference, Fremantle, WA. Financial assistance from GRDC through the Eastern Farming Systems Project is acknowledged.


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