C. d’Abbadie, S. Kharel, R. Kingwell, A. Abadi Ghadim
{"title":"Should crop sequences in Western Australia include more lupins?","authors":"C. d’Abbadie, S. Kharel, R. Kingwell, A. Abadi Ghadim","doi":"10.1071/cp23110","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Context Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an increasing priority for Australian grain producers. Could substituting lupins for canola, as a rotational break crop, enable farmers to reduce their emissions by less use of nitrogenous fertilisers?Aim This study aims to identify if replacing canola with lupins in rotations at a range of locations in Western Australia’s grainbelt is environmentally and economically attractive.Methods Bio-economic simulation modelling is used to examine the gross margins and emissions associated with replacement of canola by lupins at 14 locations in the grainbelt of Western Australia in various land use sequences.Key results Replacing canola with lupins unambiguously leads to reduced emissions in crop sequences at all locations considered. However, the higher gross margins from canola production cause lupins to only be a preferred break crop option at 4 of the 14 locations. Even with various plausible incentives to favour lupins, they remain economically unattractive at most locations other than those where lupins are well adapted to the environment.Conclusions Lupins’ current lack of commercial attractiveness for farmers limits its role in emissions reduction in the region’s farming systems.Implications The profitability of lupins needs to increase if lupins are to be widely readopted. This requires developing higher yielding lupin varieties, grain quality improvements, and policy changes to reward lower emission cereals. However, this study shows these changes, apart from yield improvement, are unlikely in the short term. At locations with suitable soils alternative pulse crops may offer higher gross margins whilst delivering emission reductions.","PeriodicalId":51237,"journal":{"name":"Crop & Pasture Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Crop & Pasture Science","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1071/cp23110","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Context Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an increasing priority for Australian grain producers. Could substituting lupins for canola, as a rotational break crop, enable farmers to reduce their emissions by less use of nitrogenous fertilisers?Aim This study aims to identify if replacing canola with lupins in rotations at a range of locations in Western Australia’s grainbelt is environmentally and economically attractive.Methods Bio-economic simulation modelling is used to examine the gross margins and emissions associated with replacement of canola by lupins at 14 locations in the grainbelt of Western Australia in various land use sequences.Key results Replacing canola with lupins unambiguously leads to reduced emissions in crop sequences at all locations considered. However, the higher gross margins from canola production cause lupins to only be a preferred break crop option at 4 of the 14 locations. Even with various plausible incentives to favour lupins, they remain economically unattractive at most locations other than those where lupins are well adapted to the environment.Conclusions Lupins’ current lack of commercial attractiveness for farmers limits its role in emissions reduction in the region’s farming systems.Implications The profitability of lupins needs to increase if lupins are to be widely readopted. This requires developing higher yielding lupin varieties, grain quality improvements, and policy changes to reward lower emission cereals. However, this study shows these changes, apart from yield improvement, are unlikely in the short term. At locations with suitable soils alternative pulse crops may offer higher gross margins whilst delivering emission reductions.
期刊介绍:
Crop and Pasture Science (formerly known as Australian Journal of Agricultural Research) is an international journal publishing outcomes of strategic research in crop and pasture sciences and the sustainability of farming systems. The primary focus is broad-scale cereals, grain legumes, oilseeds and pastures. Articles are encouraged that advance understanding in plant-based agricultural systems through the use of well-defined and original aims designed to test a hypothesis, innovative and rigorous experimental design, and strong interpretation. The journal embraces experimental approaches from molecular level to whole systems, and the research must present novel findings and progress the science of agriculture.
Crop and Pasture Science is read by agricultural scientists and plant biologists, industry, administrators, policy-makers, and others with an interest in the challenges and opportunities facing world agricultural production.
Crop and Pasture Science is published with the endorsement of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Academy of Science.