Polymers may hold key to better farm productivity
Researchers from the University of WA (UWA) are working on developing advanced polymers to help farmers better manage water and nutrients in the soil.
Australia's growing conditions are characterised by extremely dry spells with bouts of intense rain.
Thirty per cent of Australia's cropping land fails to retain water and produces just 10 per cent of the nation's broadacre crops.
UWA professor Daniel Murphy is a part of the joint international research project.
He says the research will greatly benefit farmers.
"So to put that into context if we've got regions in Western Australia that could potentially increase their yields, say grain and wheat yields, between 0.3 and about one or 1.2 tonnes per hectare, that's a lot of loss in terms of yield and therefore economics in a farm," he said.
"So what we're interested in and what we'll be looking at over the next five years is utilising polymers to try to address water repellency.
"If we can improve infiltration and retention into the soil then obviously the plant can utilise that water and that benefits the farmer in terms of increased productivity in his land."