Evaluation of a new cropping option using a participatory approach with on-farm monitoring and simulation: a case study of spring-sown mungbeans

In the northern Australian cropping region, mungbean is commonly sown as an opportunity crop, usually on low soil water after a winter cereal, and con sequently has a reputation for being a low yielding, high risk crop. Yield prospects could be improved and risks reduced if it was sown on soils with a higher soil water content, for instance in spring after a winter fallow. However, there is a lack of experience and confidence in alternative roles for mungbean in the farming system. This paper describes a research approac h involving researchers, farmers, advisers, and grain traders in which on-f arm monitoring of spring-sown commercial crops and cropping systems simulat ion with APSIM were used to explore yield prospects for a spring-sown crop after a winter fallow. The key elements of the approach are: (1) identifica tion of possible options through simulation of scenarios, (2) testing the n ew practice with innovative farmers, and (3) monitoring of the management a nd performance of commercial crops and comparing yields with benchmarks est imated with a model. In this case, after 2 years of on-farm testing, spring -sown mungbean has been shown to have a potential for high returns in the n orthern cropping systems.