Climate change challenges for low-input cropping and grazing systems - Australia.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses the mechanisms by which climate change will influence broad-acre rainfed farming systems (cropping and grazing) in Australia and critically evaluates possible on-farm adaptation options. These results will be aggregated to national scales to examine the benefits derived from adaptation to climate change. The main projected challenges for the grazing industry under climate change are declines in pasture productivity, reduced forage quality, livestock heat stress, greater problems with some pests and weeds, more frequent droughts, more intense rainfall events and greater risks of soil degradation. The chapter establishes that the scale of climate change adaptation will need to respond to the extent of projected climate change, with tactical adaptation suitable for modest climate change, systemic adaptation suitable for more extensive climate change and transformative adaptation suitable for significant project change in temperature and rainfall.