Broadacre crops
Information on what we are currently working on with the broadacre crop industry.
Addressing the fundamentals of cropping-systems that deliver sustainable growth of agriculture sector in the Northern Territory
Improving productivity and profitability of the Northern Territory cropping system is crucial for sustainable growth of the Territory’s agriculture sector, topical research, development efforts and major infrastructure developments are supportive of establishing a self-sustained cotton industry. .
However, knowledge gaps in crop establishment, agronomy, biosecurity, technical skills, and an in-depth understanding of the social aspects associated with barriers to growth of broadacre cropping in the Northern Territory need to be adequately addressed, if the sector is to fully realise its potential.
This 4 year project is addressing the basic requirements of sustainably growing cotton under intensive cropping system with rain-fed conditions. The project is conducting a series of trials on commercial farms in the Douglas Daly and Katherine regions of the Northern Territory.
The trials include crop establishment, rotation and cover crops, nutrition management, pest and disease monitoring and management. Alongside the trials, the project will map the soil and water profile in the potential cotton growing areas in the Northern Territory. In addition, the project will conduct scenario-planning workshops to understand the economic and environmental impact of the project recommendations.
The project will explore the scope and potential of transforming Aboriginal land to commercial broadacre cropping. Finally, the project will build capacity of the growers, researchers, and Aboriginal land councils for identifying and addressing the evolving challenges of the Northern Territory cropping industry.
Find out more Crcna website
Contact: Plant.Industries@nt.gov.au
Spice
Great Northern Spices
Plant Industries’ recently concluded project Spicing up northern Australia with high value condiment crops established that three spice crops (sesame, fennel, and kalonji) have potential as cash crops in Northern Australian producers.
The Great Northern Spices project is being conducted to provide region specific recommendations and industry knowledge to support growers to integrate spice crops into both new and existing northern farming systems, including planting protocols and pest management through developing a compendium of weeds, pests and diseases and their control options.
It will investigate best practice machinery use and settings to ensure optimal crop emergence and yield capture and determine options for drying and cleaning the seed product to assure post-harvest quality.
More information on great northern spices, visit Crcna website.
Contact: Plant.Industries@nt.gov.au
Peanuts
Grain and graze north: Dual purpose peanuts for northern Australia
This project is evaluating a range of newly developed peanut varieties suitable for tropical farming systems.
The project will undertake research in agronomy, crop physiology, pasture and fodder analysis, agricultural economics and extension to assess the potential of at least three new dual purpose peanut varieties across different agro-ecological zones in Northern Australia.
For more information on grain and graze north, visit Crcna. website
Contact: Plant.Industries@nt.gov.au
Rice
A collaborative Plant Industries’ project is screening different varieties of wild rice for various performance measures. The project aims at developing agronomic protocols for potential wild rice for the Territorian Traditional Owners.
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Cotton
A 2 year project demonstrating the potential of growing cotton in the Northern Territory has established the production opportunity of dryland cotton farming. Data collected from a series of trials have been made available to producers, agronomists, and investors to ensure they have the necessary information to make decisions about growing cotton and when and where to grow the commercial crop.
Find out more about our modern cotton trials.
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Recycling cotton, grain and cattle wastes to develop mushroom based circular economy in the Northern Territory
Cotton crop waste, including stalks and leaves, cotton seed husks, and other by-products can be repurposed as substrates for mushroom production. This method has the capacity to mitigate the environmental impact of waste disposal and transform the waste materials into valuable commodities.
Plant Industries has taken on a PhD research project with Charles Darwin University to investigate the potential of using waste from cotton crop to grow mushroom.
After laboratory scale optimization of the cotton-based waste-substrate, the project is poised to expand its horizons by establishing a new mushroom industry in the Northern Territory.
The objective is to cultivate various exotic mushroom species for sale in the local and interstate markets, with the eventual goal of extending operations to the export markets.
The project aims to embrace a recycling approach, not only within the mushroom industry but also by extending this sustainable practice to other sectors, contributing to the boost in regional jobs and the economy. Creating a greener tomorrow for the Territory.
Contact: Plant.Industries@nt.gov.au
Northern Territory rain-fed cotton: Predicting yields & saving water
Cotton offers high profitability and has potential to become a cornerstone crop in the Northern Territory, where growth of the industry would build capacity and strengthen the whole agricultural sector. Unlike irrigated cotton in southern states, the Northern Territory’s rain-fed cotton relies on wet season rainfall, making it less water-intensive but more vulnerable to unfavourable rainfall. However, our knowledge about water use of rain-fed cotton and potential impact of rainfall is limited.
This project aims to enhance our understanding of the water use patterns and efficiency of rain-fed cotton in the Katherine and Douglas-Daly regions using a combination of physiological measurements, ground and soil sensors, and remote sensing. By integrating these data into numerical crop models, the project will predict rain-fed cotton yields, including under variable rainfall, addressing potential impacts.
This knowledge may serve to guide supplementary irrigation in the future, further bolstering the resilience of the Northern Territory cotton industry.
Contact: Plant.Industries@nt.gov.au
Sorghum
As part of an external funded project, Plant Industries are demonstrating the potential of forage sorghum in the Northern Territory.
Resources
More information
- YouTube channel
- Field crops on the Northern Territory Government website
- Forage sorghum agnote PDF (38.0 KB)
- Sorghum - growing grain sorghum in the NT PDF (77.7 KB)
- Sorghum - grain sorghum variety evaluation trials for the Douglas-Daly district NT PDF (120.6 KB)
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Hemp
Australia industrial hemp 5 years research program - Theme 1: Seeds and varieties
Building on the Northern Territory Government’s funded research trials conducted at Coastal Plains Research Farm and Katherine Research Station; as well as Industrial hemp variety trials project of AgriFutures Australia, this 4 years research project is designed to further evaluate the hemp varieties suitable for profitable fibre or seed/oil production, and that have the characteristics required for adaptation to the potential production environment.
The research program aims at providing a baseline and framework to secure a continued supply of characterised novel hemp varieties as well as improved germplasm to hemp growers across all relevant Australian agroecological zones.
The project will ensure an effective pathway for the delivery of new varieties for fibre and seed/oil production to growers and provide them with information to guide decision about selection of varieties.
For more information on the Australian Hemp Program of Research, visit https://agrifutures.com.au/related-projects/australian-industrial-hemp-program-of-research-aihpr/
Contact: Plant.Industries@nt.gov.au
Pastures
Investigating new pasture genetics for tropical environments; and engaging the grazing industry in cropping options to diversify agricultural production on pastoral leases.
For more information, visit Northern Territory Government website.
Contact: Plant.Industries@nt.gov.au
More information
- Industrial hemp: a future prospect for the NT? (2018) - Top paddock PDF (3.9 MB)
- Striking the balance PDF (23.0 MB)
- Growing Industrial Hemp in the Northern Territory DOCX (2.6 MB)
- Hemp Pests in the Northern Territory DOCX (20.4 MB)
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