The allocation of benefits from research and development of new herbicide uses is dependent on patent status. The agricultural chemical industry will preferentially invest in herbicide R&D that increases the use of on-patent herbicides from which a company can capture a price premium. The...

A wealth of evidence exists about the adoption of new practices and technologies in agriculture but there does not appear to have been any attempt to simplify this vast body of research knowledge into a model to make quantitative predictions across a broad range of contexts. This is despite...

Cropping in low-rainfall regions can be risky business. Farms are often characterized by high climatic and spatial variability, while input prices, particularly nitrogen (N) fertilisers, are rising steadily relative to grain prices. Consequently, in anticipation of having a poor season, farmers...

Social costs and externalities associated with herbicide resistance have not generally been considered by economists. The economics of managing herbicide resistance in weeds has focused on cost-effective responses by growers to the development of resistance at the individual farm and field...

Mallee farmers minimize downside risk in dry seasons by applying low rates of nitrogen (N) fertiliser to their cereal crops. The opportunity to respond to and capitalize on the better years is further limited as most inputs are applied upfront at sowing. We used an economic-risk decision model...

The potential for computer-based decision support tools (DSTs) to better inform farm management decisions is well-recognised. However, despite considerable investment in a wide range of tools, the uptake by advisers and farmers remains low. Greater understanding of the demand and the most valued...

The farm-level economics of conservation agriculture (zero tillage, mulching and crop rotation)are described, reviewed and modelled. The economics are defined broadly to include not just shortterm financial benefits and costs, but also the whole-farm management context, constraints on key...