Trends in grain production and yield gaps in the high-rainfall zone of southern Australia
Michael Robertson A G , John Kirkegaard B , Allan Peake C , Zoe Creelman D , Lindsay Bell C , Julianne Lilley B , Jon Midwood D , Heping Zhang A , Sue Kleven B , Chris Duff E , Roger Lawes A and Penny Riffkin F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PMB 5 Wembley PO, WA 6913, Australia.
B CSIRO Agriculture and Food, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
C CSIRO Agriculture and Food, PO Box 102, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.
D Southern Farming Systems, 23 High Street, Inverleigh, Vic. 3321, Australia.
E Delta Agribusiness, Harden, NSW 2587, Australia.
F Victoria Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, PB105, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: michael.robertson@csiro.au
Crop and Pasture Science 67(9) 921-937 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP16153
Submitted: 20 April 2016 Accepted: 1 June 2016 Published: 25 August 2016
Abstract
The high-rainfall zone (HRZ) of southern Australia is the arable areas where annual rainfall is between 450 and 800 mm in Western Australia and between 500 and 900 mm in south-eastern Australia, resulting in a growing-season length of 7–10 months. In the last decade, there has been a growing recognition of the potential to increase crop production in the HRZ. We combined (1) a survey of 15 agricultural consultants, each of whom have ~40–50 farmer clients across the HRZ, (2) 28 farm records of crop yields and area for 2000–2010, (3) 86 wheat and 54 canola yield observations from well managed experiments, and (4) long-term simulated crop yields at 13 HRZ locations, to investigate recent trends in crop production, quantify the gap between potential and actual crop yields, and consider the factors thought to limit on-farm crop yields in the HRZ. We found in the past 10 years a trend towards more cropping, particularly in WA, an increased use of canola, and advances in the adaptation of germplasm to HRZ environments using winter and longer-season spring types. Consultants and the farm survey data confirmed that the rate of future expansion of cropping in the HRZ will slow, especially when compared with the rapid changes seen in the 1990s.
In Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia the long-term water-limited potential yield in HRZ areas, as measured by experimental yields, consultant estimates and simulations for slow developing spring cultivars of wheat and canola was 5–6 and 2–3 t/ha for a decile 5 season. For Western Australia it was 4–5 and 2–3 t/ha, where yields were less responsive to good seasons than in the other states. The top performing farmers were achieving close to the water-limited potential yield. There are yield advantages of ~2 t/ha for ‘winter’ over ‘spring’ types of both wheat and canola, and there is scope for better adapted germplasm to further raise potential yield in the HRZ.
Consultants stated that there is scope for large gains in yield and productivity by encouraging the below-average cropping farmers to adopt the practices and behaviours of the above-average farmers. The scope for improvement between the below- and above-average farmers was 1–3 t/ha for wheat and 0.5–1.5 t/ha for canola in a decile 5 season. They also stated that a lack of up-to-date infrastructure (e.g. farm grain storage) and services is constraining the industry’s ability to adopt new technology. Priorities for future research, development and extension among consultants included: overcoming yield constraints where growing-season rainfall exceeds 350 mm; adaptation of winter and long-season spring types of cereals and canola and management of inputs required to express their superior yield potential; and overcoming barriers to improved planning and timeliness for crop operations and adoption of technology.
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