WA Crop Sequence Calculator

Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.

The Crop Sequence Calculator is an online tool to compare crop sequence options. The tool is based on trial results and historic data from Western Australia.

The calculator can be used to:

  • Evaluate the information gathered from recent Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Grains Research and Development Corporation funded Dynamic Crop Sequence (DCS) trials at Katanning (Year 1 = 2008) and Wongan Hills (Year 1 = 2009)
  • Compare these results to experimental data collected in WA since 1974
  • Compare growers experiences to experimental data
  • Quickly compare gross margins for three year crop sequences.
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
Year1 Crop Year2 Crop Year3 Crop Year4 Crop

Experimental Returns
Yield (t/ha): Yield (t/ha): Yield (t/ha): Yield (t/ha):
Grain Price ($/t): Grain Price ($/t): Grain Price ($/t): Grain Price ($/t):
Costs ($/ha): Costs ($/ha): Costs ($/ha): Costs ($/ha):
Gross Margin ($/ha): Gross Margin ($/ha): Gross Margin ($/ha): Gross Margin ($/ha): Total Gross Margin ($/ha):

Your Returns
% Experimental Yield: % Experimental Yield: % Experimental Yield: % Experimental Yield:
Yield (t/ha): Yield (t/ha): Yield (t/ha): Yield (t/ha):
Grain Price ($/t): Grain Price ($/t): Grain Price ($/t): Grain Price ($/t):
Costs ($/ha): Costs ($/ha): Costs ($/ha): Costs ($/ha):
Gross Margin ($/ha): Gross Margin ($/ha): Gross Margin ($/ha): Gross Margin ($/ha): Total Gross Margin ($/ha):

Historical Data Graph


Contact Us

To use the Crop Sequence Calculator

  1. Select either the Katanning or Wongan Hills DCS trial
  2. For each year select the crop type you wish to consider. This automatically returns the grain yields, costs and returns obtained for the DCS experiment. You can then choose to enter your own information either as % of experimental yield or t/ha. Similarly you can change the costs and grain prices to suit your situation. Gross margins will automatically update
  3. Below the financial summary are graphs using the historical data set to compare crop sequences to wheat after wheat. Simply change the crop selected in Year 2 to alter the sequence. The histogram shows how often the difference in the yield of the selected crop sequence and wheat after wheat falls into selected ranges. The scatter plot shows a marker (in green) for every trial where the selected crop sequence is compared to wheat after wheat. A yellow marker indicates the data for either the Katanning or Wongan Hills DCS trial. Markers above the 1:1 line are higher yielding than wheat after wheat.

Further information

The Crop Sequence Calculator was developed by DPIRD Senior Research Officer Mark Seymour, Research Officer Dr Raj Malik and Senior Research Officer Dr Bob French with funding by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Grains Research and Development Corporation. It is loosely based on the USDA’s Crop Sequence Calculator produced by staff at the USDA, Agriculture Research Service, Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory Mandan, North Dakota. Kylie Ding and Ian Pritchard (DPIRD) helped with the layout and programming.

References

  1. Seymour, M., Kirkegaard, JA., Peoples, MB., White, PF., & French, RJ. 2012, 'Break-crop benefits to wheat in Western Australia – insights from over three decades of research', Crop & Pasture Science 63, 1-16.
  2. French, RJ., Malik, R., & Seymour, M. 2011 'How crop sequence affects the productivity and resilience of cropping systems in two Western Australian environments', In Proceedings - 2011 Agribusiness Crop Updates, pp. 181-191, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, South Perth.
  3. French, RJ. 2012 'Performance of wheat after fallow in two very different seasons at Wongan Hills', In Proceedings - 2012 Agribusiness Crop Updates, pp. 112-115, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, South Perth.

Topics

Contact information

Raj Malik
+61 (0)8 9821 3247
Email Raj Malik
Page last updated: Monday, 29 January 2018 - 9:13am