Australia’s agriculture industry is a global powerhouse of grain production, with wheat, canola, and barley being three of Australia’s top crops. These three grains play a significant role in national exports, food security, and rural economies. The core of their productivity and profitability is the capacity to measure crop yields precisely. Yield measurement verifies the success of a season and determines future input decisions, practices, and investments.
In this post, we discuss how crop yields are quantified in wheat, canola, and barley in Australia, the technologies and equipment employed, and the challenges and innovations defining the future of grain yield measurement.
What Is Crop Yield?
Crop yield is the quantity of grain produced per unit area, measured in tonnes per hectare (t/ha). For instance:
- Australian wheat yields an average of 2.0 to 2.5 t/ha, depending on season and region.
- Canola yields can vary between 1.5 and 2.0 t/ha.
- Barley varies from 2.2 to 3.0 t/ha.
Yield is impacted by:
- Soil fertility
- Rainfall and irrigation
- Sowing times
- Variety selection
- Disease and pest control
- Fertiliser application
Accurate yield measurement enables growers to determine the efficiency of these variables and enhance profitability.
How Are Australian Farm Yields Measured?
On-Farm Yield Monitoring Systems: Major Australian grain producers operate harvesters with integrated yield monitors, which provide automatic yield records and moisture at harvest time. Such systems:
- Utilise flow rate calculations by sensors in the clean grain elevator.
- Integrate GPS location data for accurate mapping.
- Generate real-time maps of yield per paddock.
Yield monitors should be calibrated every year for accuracy, particularly after machine maintenance or before harvest.
GRDC Tip: Calibrate yield monitors regularly using a weighbridge or a trailer with a known weight.
Weighbridge and Load Measurement: For grain sellers through bulk handlers such as CBH Group, GrainCorp, or Viterra, weighbridge tickets provide an accurate means of estimating total yield. The calculation is straightforward:
Total Yield (tonnes) = Net weight of grain ÷ Area harvested
This is generally supplemented with on-farm records and paddock-level measurements to achieve greater accuracy.
Hand Sampling and Quadrat Cuts: In yield measurement in research trials or small paddocks, quadrat-fixed-area frames for harvesting and weighing sample crops are used. This technique gives:
- High accuracy
- Detailed biomass and harvest index information
It’s widely used in the Department of Primary Industries and CSIRO field trials as agronomic benchmarking research studies.
Remote Sensing and Satellite Technologies: Australia is quickly embracing precision agriculture technologies, including:
- NDVI imaging (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index)
- Drones
- Satellite information from initiatives such as Digital Earth Australia
These technologies enable estimation of crop biomass and yield potential well ahead of harvest. NDVI images are particularly valuable during the growing season for monitoring crop vigour and flagging trouble spots.
Under the Australian Government’s Digital Earth Australia (DEA) program, satellite-based vegetation data is already being employed to inform on-ground decision-making by farmers and agronomists.
Yield Benchmarking: National and Regional Insights
ABARES releases crop reports and forecasts regularly, which are crucial for industry benchmarking. For instance, in its March 2024 report:
- Wheat output was predicted at 29.5 million tonnes.
- Barley at 11.4 million tonnes.
- Canola at 5.7 million tonnes.
Producers can compare their yields to regional benchmarks to determine their performance and discover where improvements should be made.
Yield Data: Why It Matters?
In addition to quantifying productivity, yield data is important for:
- Paddock-level profitability analysis
- Fertiliser and input planning
- Farm business benchmarking
- Grain marketing and contract fulfilment
- Environmental performance reporting
The GrainGrowers’ Sustainability Framework also identifies yield efficiency as a measure of sustainable grain production. (Source)
Technologies Shaping the Future of Yield Measurement
The future of measuring yield for Australian agriculture is trending towards:
- Machine learning models to predict yield.
- Variable rate technology (VRT) to apply inputs site-specifically.
- Integration with farm management software (e.g., AgWorld, Decipher, FarmWizard).
- Digital twins of farms for real-time monitoring and simulation.
Programs like Smart Farms by AgriFutures Australia and CSIRO’s Digiscape are already piloting scalable solutions for accurate, real-time yield estimation.
Conclusion
Yield measurement is at the centre of productive grain farming in Australia. Whether with sophisticated harvester sensors, weighbridge readings, or satellite imagery, the equipment is changing fast to assist growers in optimizing efficiency and sustainability. For wheat, canola, and barley, Australia’s foundation crops for the grain economy, the capability to know and measure yield is not only best practice, it’s a matter of staying competitive and weather-proof.
For more insights, contact us at KG2 Australia today!
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