Project C: Economics of adoption in the northern region

The GRDC seeks to contract a number of linked investments, each spanning a 5 year period, as part of a northern soils investment – Economics of ameliorating soil constraints in the northern region. It is expected investments will be contracted to start 10 March 2018. These investments will provide growers in the northern region with the knowledge (technical and economic) and tools to identify and manage soil constraints to achieve improved farm profitability. The focus will be:

a) innovations in diagnosis, mapping and selection of amelioration strategies

b) providing producers with practical ways to manage and/or ameliorate single or multiple constraints

c) developments in new forms and application techniques of ameliorants

d) management decisions to maximise profitability on constrained soils

Titles of the 4 linked investments are:

PROC-9175385 Project A: Spatial soil constraint diagnoses in the northern region

PROC-9175386 Project B: Soil constraint management and amelioration strategies for the northern region

PROC-9175387 Project C: Economics of adoption in northern region

PROC-9175388 Project D: Program co-ordination – communication, extension and evaluation

Given the complex nature of this investment and the wide range of skills required it is likely that this will require a collaborative approach that may include a number of public and private partnerships. The GRDC encourages whole of region tenders for all projects, however the GRDC will also consider multiple local tenders for Project B.

Output 1

By 15 March 2021, a bio-economic framework for use by growers to quantify the profitability and risk associated with amelioration treatment options.

Details

The diagnostic approach will consider for a given soil its current condition, production potential following amelioration and the scale of risk: benefit following amelioration.

The framework will need to account for:

• the constraint type, severity and location within the profile

• amelioration techniques and costs

• the magnitude of the yield benefit for locally relevant crops

• impact of seasonal variability on production responses (i.e. risk)

• the length of the residual benefit the payback periods

Output 2

By 15 March 2021, a series of published reports for each sub-region quantifying the costs and economic impact of adopting amelioration practices including, but not restricted to:

• surface constraint amelioration

• sub-soil constraint amelioration

• compaction and soil structure decline

• fertiliser application in combination with amelioration at depth

• crop sequencing / rotations in combination with amelioration technologies

• use of tactical agronomy (e.g. row spacing, time of sowing, plant population)

• current cost impediments to adoption

Details

Developed using previous studies and incorporating new data developed by this initiative specifically Project B: Soil constraint management and amelioration strategies

The reports are to be suitable for distribution to grain growers in GRDC publications as determined by the GRDC.

Output 3

By 15 March 2022, a series of farmer case studies demonstrating the profitable implementation of constraint management strategies for each of the key constraints as identified in the above output.

Details

Case studies to examine:

• technologies and management strategies applied

• the cost of adoption of management and amelioration practices

• what are the economic benefits in the short and long term

• where should growers spend their time and money to best effect

The selected case studies should reflect the range of farm businesses (low, medium and high input) targeting each of the constraints be suitable for distribution to grain growers in GRDC publications as determined by the GRDC.

Work to linked with Project B: Output 5

Output 4

An Annual Research Report detailing the key findings of the project for the reporting period. The report will be structured using the GRDC Annual Research Report (ARR) template and developed in conjunction with the Coordination project.

The report will be used for distribution to grain growers in GRDC publications as determined by the GRDC.

Output 5

A Final Technical Report amalgamating the key findings, new knowledge and conclusions of the project to provide an overall interpretation of the work. The report will be structured using the GRDC Final Technical Report (FTR) template and developed in conjunction with the Coordination project.