Spatial diversity indicators may serve policymakers as they seek to manage crop genetic diversity and externalities associated with diffusion of some genetically modified crops. This paper adapts ecological indices of spatial diversity to area distributions of modern wheat varieties in...

Ricecheck, an extension program for rice developed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, is based on eight best management practice recommendations (“key checks”) considered essential for achieving high yields. The program comprises grower meetings and field days. The Ricecheck...

Genetic diversity in agricultural systems relies on both the supply of diversity through varieties produced by breeding programs, and the demand for that diversity, through farmers' usage of varieties. Variety choice by farmers is demonstrated through the mix of varieties that is grown in a...

Acid and acidifying soils occur extensively in Australia. Currently, some 90 million hectares of agricultural land in Australia is considered to be acidic and around 35 million hectares are considered to be highly acidic which is both a serious agricultural and environmental problem. The nature,...

In recent years, output on genetic diversity in the economic literature has included conceptual pieces on the definition and measurement of crop genetic diversity, methodologies for estimating its value, and efforts to analyze its contribution to productivity and stability. However, because...

Feed grains researchers have abundant technical opportunities to select various options for improvement of nutritional characteristics of feed grains. Choosing between those opportunities is a difficult issue for research funding organisations. In this paper, efforts to address the relative...

Crop varieties that are more competitive with weeds offer a means of reducing dependency on herbicides. On the basis of trial results, economic analysis indicates that choosing crop varieties that have stronger competitive ability against weeds can provide a clear economic advantage for farmers....

The development of molecular markers allows plant breeders to identify desirable traits by analysing DNA rather than undertaking field trials or laboratory tests. This capacity provides a potential for a significant changes to occur within plant breeding programs. However, the value of...

The pattern of adoption and disadoption of a new research outcome has considerable impact on the total benefits to the industry from such research. The aims in this paper are to examine the pattern of adoption of individual rice varieties developed in NSW, and to develop an estimate of the...