Grain growers in WA’s northern agricultural region ‘better prepared’ for climate change

WA’s northern agricultural region producers are better positioned to tackle a changing climate and tough seasons thanks to investment in practices such as soil amelioration, rapid and scalable crop management practices and embracing calculated risks such as early sowing. That’s according to Planfarm farm business consultant and AgZero working group member Rob Grima. Mr Grima said farmers in WA’s northern growing region last year faced one of the toughest growing seasons on record, with rainfall hitting historic lows reminiscent of the devastating droughts of 2006-2007. Despite these challenges, many managed to achieve remarkable water use efficiency and maintain strong production levels, shedding light on the evolving landscape of agricultural resilience. “Soil amelioration is key,” Mr Grima said. “A keen view that the plant will have access at whatever depth and at whatever stage of the growing season to access the moisture that is there and we can prove the benefits.” Northern Agri Group chairperson and Binnu grain grower Josh Carson agreed, saying using a rotary spader to ameliorate the soil across his family’s farm had been the “biggest game changer” for them. “We invested in a spader in 2018 and over six years have used it across the entire farm,” Mr Carson said. A rotary spader is capable of thoroughly mixing soil throughout its working depth to incorporate large volumes of material applied to the soil surface, as well as addressing other soil constraints such as dilution of water repellent soil. “What it has done is given plants a bigger root zone, for us going from 200mm to 500mm,” Mr Carson said. He said soil amelioration had helped with soil pH as well as maximising water use efficiency, with yields noticeably increasing across the entire property. He said deep ripping and using machinery which reduced re-compacting the soil was key to maximising the plant’s potential in any growing season. “Rainfall is very variable here; we can have really, really good years as well as years that we don’t get over 100mm,” Mr Carson said. When approaching risk in this setting, he said his mindset was to control inputs and maximise production in a good season. But it was just as important to know when to back off and minimise losses in a bad year. Mr Grima said an evolving attitude towards risk-taking was important for success in the northern ag region. He also highlighted the importance of farmers’ capacity to seed and harvest crops swiftly and efficiently. “Their willingness to be brave and take risks is vastly different now to what it was after 2007, particularly when it comes to sowing early,” Mr Grima said. “They know the rainfall trend is not working in their favour and below-average rainfall years are not as scary as they once were.” Looking ahead, Mr Grima emphasised the necessity for continued adaptation and investment in agricultural practices to mitigate the impacts of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. “Let’s be honest: with 150-250mm of rainfall in a growing season, farmers can make a lot of money, but it’s the years like 2023 when rainfall volume is lower that, despite their excellent investments, profit is still elusive,” he said. “That is why they have made such investments, to protect themselves.”