Western Australia's wheatbelt cropping systems must change to remain sustainable, according to Rick Roush, former head of the Australian CRC for Weed Management and now Director of the Integrated Pest Management Program, University of California.

Speaking at the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) supported Future Broadacre Agricultural Landscapes Conference in Perth last week, Professor Roush said Western Australia's grainbelt productivity was seriously threatened by a wide range of environmental, economic and social factors.

Environmentally, salinity, acidification, erosion, invasive pest species, evolution of resistance to pesticides and climate change were all problems facing wheatbelt growers.

Economic and social factors include declining agricultural terms of trade, probable long term increases in fuel costs, declining public appreciation of agriculture and the reduced political influence of agriculture and rural communities.

“Wheatbelt cropping systems are unsustainable in their current course and will change whether we want them to or not,” he said.

Professor Roush suggested that while research and development (R&D) was not the only solution, it was a major factor.

“Improved crop varieties will play a large role which could be enhanced significantly through genetic engineering.

“In broad terms, key components to some solutions are already known, but it’s just that they are costly and unpalatable.

“It would be overly optimistic to claim science and technology will develop significantly less costly and more attractive solutions to these problems, or that it can solve those that are economic and social in origin, but R&D is critical to reduce the negative impacts of inevitable changes.

“One of the most obvious areas for imagination is to create ways to add value to Western Australian agriculture, while enhancing the perenniality of landscape.”

Hyden grower and GRDC Western Panel Chairman, Dale Baker (photo), said Australian researchers must think outside the square to apply what they already know to the current situation.

“Many of the problems will have to be addressed within Australia, which is already a leader in the development and adoption of relevant technology.

“While some problems transcend science or are beyond the capacity of Australia to change on its own, R&D can potentially address matters such as salinity, acidification, new grain and meat products for trade and farming practices such as biofuel.”

The Future Broadacre Agricultural Landscapes Conference, a joint initiative of the Department of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Murdoch University, Curtin University, and CSIRO, aimed to establish direction needed for future R&D for the Western Australian wheatbelt.