The cropping sector in Australia is very susceptible to climate impacts. ABARES predicts that the cropping sector has been successfully adapting so far, with a predicted 68% increase in productivity offsetting the negative climate impacts to produce an increase or stability in actual industry productivity levels.
Some of the ways in which grains producers can adapt to the changing climate include:
- Select varieties for tolerance to changing conditions, including heat and diseases
- Adopt conservation cropping practices, including minimal tillage and stubble retention
- Integrate more oil crops and legumes into the system, providing necessary crop breaks to minimise disease, increasing available nitrogen and building soil structure
- Consider shifting sewing times
Resources
- Birchip Cropping Group
- GrainGrowers, Carbon Calculators Compared for Australian Grain Growers
- Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, GHG Accounting Tools
- From Conservation to Automation
