General Strategies
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Dobes, L. (2012). Cattle king a climate adaptation pioneer? Ecos, (169), 1-3. Retrieved from Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre.
This article focuses on the achievements of Australian grazier Sidney Kidman, who adopted unorthodox practices to deal with climate change. Kidman owned and held several lands and properties, but decided not to fully stock these properties to give him flexibility of moving his cattle from drought-affected areas to places with available feeds.
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Carmody, P. (2010, April). Climate adaptation for South West Agricultural Region. Retrieved from https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/
Farmnote 413. Climate change will provide opportunities and challenges to producers<br /> across the South West Agricultural Region. This<br /> Farmnote is designed to promote risk management planning by producers in anticipation of those changes.
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Kingwell, R., Anderton, L., Islam, N., Xayavong, V., Wardell-Johnson, A., Feldman, D. & Speijers, J. (2013). Broadacre farmers adapting to a changing climate. Retrieved from https://www.nccarf.edu.au/publications/broadacre-farmers-adapting-changing-climat
Data on the financial performance of a diverse set of 249 farm businesses in south-western Australia over the period 2002 to 2011 was collated and analysed. These 10 years were a period of challenging weather years, underpinned by a warming and drying trend in the region’s climate, frost events and marked price volatility. -
John, M., Pannell, D., & Kingwell, R. (2013, June 16). Climate change and the economics of farm management in the face of land degradation: Dryland salinity in Western Australia. Retrieved from http://dpannell.fnas.uwa.edu.au/dp0503.htm
Projected changes in climate would affect not only the profitability of agriculture, but also the way it is managed, including the way issues of land conservation are managed. This study provides a detailed analysis of these effects for an extensive dryland farming system in south-west Australia. Using a whole-farm linear programming model, with discrete stochastic programming to represent climate risk, we explore the consequences of several climate scenarios.
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Smith, P., Martino, D., Cai, Z., Gwary, D., Janzen, H., Kumar, P., ... Sirotenko, O. (2007) Agriculture. In Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=we
A variety of options exists for mitigation of GHG emissions in agriculture. The most prominent options are improved crop and grazing land management (e.g., improved agronomic practices, nutrient use, tillage, and residue management), restoration of organic soils that are drained for crop production and restoration of degraded lands.
Potential Strategies
Conservation Tillage
Cover Crops
Direct Seeding
Field Windbreaks
Rotational Grazing
Perennial Forage Crops
Reduced Summer Fallow
Straw Management
Higher-Yielding Crops
Sustainable Stocking Rates
Conversion of poor cropland into tree farming
Drip Irrigation Systems
Centre-Pivot Irrigation Systems
Underground Irrigation Systems
GPS Tracking (fertiliser)
Integrated Pest Management
Methane Collection and Combustion Systems (ie. covered lagoons and plug flow digesters)
Renewable Energy (wind and solar)
Biofuels
Cloud Seeding
Industry Specific Strategies
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Fitzgerald, B. (2015, April 16). Water savings of more than 40 per cent made on a netted orchard in Western Australia's southern forest region. Retrieved from
A Western Australian horticulture research project has found growers can make water savings of more than 40 per cent, by netting orchards.
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Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre. (2011, October). Southern livestock adaptation fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.piccc.org.au/resource/fact-sheets/199
This publication is part of a series of PICCC fact sheets profiling its major research projects and programs. The fact sheets detail the research methods of each project, and highlight results and implications of the work to date.
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Western Dairy. (n.d.). Saving energy on WA Dairy farms. Retrieved from http://www.westerndairy.com.au/viewStory/Saving+Energy+on+WA+Dairy+Farms
The cost of electricity accounts for a significant proportion of a dairy farm’s shed cost. Dairy farmers are under pressure from the rising cost of electricity and an increased focus on carbon emissions. Real opportunities exist for dairy farmers to better control their energy costs while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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Rowbottom, J. (2009, August). Western Australian Dairy Industry Regional Natural Resource Management Action Plan. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAAahUKEwjjtKTZ7PjGAhVnJKYKHZHzCL8&url=http%3A%2F%2F
Our objectives in management are to ensure: Improvement of water quality in catchment waterways and drains; Production is optimised for the land & water resources used; To be good environmental stewards, ensuring the environment on and off farm is enhanced; To assist WA dairy farmers to adapt their farming systems to cope with climate change.
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Turnbull, A. (2009, August). Climate change and the Australian horticulture industry. Retrieved from
Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) and the Climate Change Research Strategy for Primary Industries (CCRSPI) network have produced this
brochure so that growers have information about: predicted climate change impacts on horticulture; research underway to assist growers to respond to climate change; and practical measures to mitigate and adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change. -
Proffitt, T., & Ward, G. (2009). South-west Western Australian vineyard water resources in a changing climate. Australian Viticulture, 13(2), 15-20. Retrieved from Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre.
The article discusses the threats posed by climate change and water shortage to vineyard water resources in the south-west of Western Australia. Climate change in the south-west is expected to significantly increase irrigation water requirements.
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Meat & Livestock Australia. (2014, November 6). Climate change adaptation in the southern Australian livestock industries. Retrieved from http://www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/Search-RD-reports/RD-report-details/Environment-On-Farm/Climate-Change
Final Report B.SBP.0076 focuses on a sheep farming study in Kojonup and Ravensthorpe.