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Rice Production in Australia

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Rice Production Worldwide

Abstract

The rice production is a profitable agro-based industry in Australia. Although the area under rice cultivation and total production in Australia is very little in proportion to global rice production, its unique agronomy and crop management are notable. Since the inception of rice cultivation in irrigated areas of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria states of Australia in the early twentieth century, this industry has progressed by leaps and bounds. Rice sowing methods in Australia include wet seeding in cultivated water bays, direct dry seeding in previous crop stubbles, and direct seeding on permanent raised beds. The medium-grain temperate varieties perform best under Australian conditions, and many of these have been developed locally through breeding, keeping in view the local climatic and edaphic conditions. Australian farmers produce the most water-efficient rice in the world. The escape from major pests and diseases and good management practices allow them to obtain the highest yield per hectare as compared to all other rice-producing countries. Several weeds infest rice fields in Australia, but effective management through herbicides is in practice. The overall crop husbandry is well mechanized right from sowing to harvest. An integrated system connects farmers, industry, and the government stakeholders which ensure the excellent crop production followed by excellent processing and marketing within and out of the country. The declining water resources, the terminal cold stress during the reproductive stage of rice crop, and the environmental concerns are major constraints to the Australian rice industry. However, the highest water-use efficiency, rapid adoption of innovative conservation technologies, development of new cultivars suitable for the changing climate, and integrated research with holistic approach are strong features of this enterprise.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia

    Ali Ahsan Bajwa

  2. The Centre for Plant Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Gatton/Toowoomba, QLD, 4343/4350, Australia

    Ali Ahsan Bajwa & Bhagirath Singh Chauhan

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  1. Ali Ahsan Bajwa
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  2. Bhagirath Singh Chauhan
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Correspondence to Ali Ahsan Bajwa .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia

    Bhagirath S. Chauhan

  2. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkey

    Khawar Jabran

  3. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

    Gulshan Mahajan

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Bajwa, A.A., Chauhan, B.S. (2017). Rice Production in Australia. In: Chauhan, B., Jabran, K., Mahajan, G. (eds) Rice Production Worldwide. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47516-5_7

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