Productivity, sustainability, and rainfall-use efficiency in Australian rainfed Mediterranean agricultural systems
Neil C. Turner A B C and Senthold Asseng AA CSIRO Plant Industry, Private Bag 5, Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.
B Present address: Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: ncturner@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56(11) 1123-1136 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR05076
Submitted: 7 March 2005 Accepted: 2 September 2005 Published: 29 November 2005
Abstract
Mediterranean environments are characterised by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The native vegetation in Mediterranean-climatic regions is predominantly perennial shrubs and trees intermixed with annual forbs. In south-western Australia, the spread of agriculture has seen the well adapted perennial vegetation replaced by rainfed annual crops and pastures. This has increased waterlogging and secondary salinity, thereby causing loss of productivity in ~10% of the cleared land area. To reduce deep drainage and make the agricultural systems environmentally sustainable requires the re-introduction of perennial vegetation in the form of belts of trees or shrubs, and phase-farming systems with perennials such as lucerne replacing annual pastures between the cropping years. To be economically viable, agricultural productivity needs to increase by at least 3% per annum. Yields of dryland wheat, the predominant crop in the Mediterranean agricultural regions of Australia, have increased at ~1%/year for the century preceding the 1980s and since then by nearly 4%/year. Increases have arisen from both genotypic and agronomic improvements. Genotypic increases have arisen from selection for earliness, early vigour, deep roots, osmotic adjustment, increased transpiration efficiency, improved disease resistance, and an improved harvest index from high ear weight (grain number) at flowering and high assimilate storage and remobilisation. Agronomic increases have arisen from early sowing that has been enabled by minimum tillage, increased fertiliser use, especially nitrogen, weed control, and rotations to improve weed control, minimise disease risk, and increase nitrogen availability. Evidence is presented suggesting that the rapid increase in yield of wheat in the last two decades has likely arisen from the rapid adoption of new technologies. For productivity to be maintained in the face of the increasing requirement to be environmentally sustainable will be a challenge and will require better integration of breeding and agronomy.
Additional keywords: Mediterranean climate, native vegetation, water use, terminal drought, agronomic improvements, genetic improvements.
Acknowledgments
The authors’ research is supported by CSIRO, the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture at The University of Western Australia, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, and the Grains Research and Development Corporation. We thank Drs Jairo Palta, Fulco Ludwig, Carina Moeller, and Stephen Milroy for helpful comments on the manuscript.
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