Dj. Mcdonald, TEMPERATE RICE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST-CENTURY - AN AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLE, Australian journal of experimental agriculture, 34(7), 1994, pp. 877-888
Performance of the New South Wales rice industry is examined in the co
ntext of global rice production and demand into the 21st century. The
need to double global production of rice by 2030 without major expansi
on of area will ensure strong export demand from temperate ricegrowing
areas including southern New South Wales. Factors leading to the very
high yields now achieved are discussed and the potential for further
increasing average yields that are already the highest in the world is
explored in terms of maintaining gains already made, raising the yiel
d ceiling closer to the environmental limit, and reducing the gap betw
een potential yield and those achieved by producers. Details are provi
ded of the release and utilisation of varieties from the breeding prog
ram, and significant barriers to further yield increase are identified
. The importance of 'Ricecheck' (a simple decision support system for
farmers) is discussed. Problems of tailoring crop and land use practic
es to obtain environmental stability while at the same time substantia
lly increasing productivity are highlighted.