Increasing crop productivity and economic benefits with hydropriming seeds and livestock land management

ertilizer usage in dryland crop production is critical to maximizing yield, using forecast climatic information to determine optimal fertilizer application times and amounts. Two simple, low technology management practices to increase crop productivity and fertilizer efficacy with climatic variation are evaluated in this report utilizing APSIM crop modelling software. Grazing livestock on crop residue during summer fallowing and hydropriming seeds with liquid fertilizer prior to sowing management strategies, are found to increase wheat yield by 15.3% and net economic benefits by 10%. Further productivity increases are found by calibrating fertilizer and management strategies to seasonal precipitation forecasts, increases barley and wheat yields by up to 32% and annual net economic benefits per hectare by 55 and 15% for a mixed land use farm in South Eastern Australia. This work evaluates two novel low technology management methods to reduce yield variation and increase productivity of fertilizer inputs in crop production.