The effect of different climatic conditions on wheat harvesting strategy and return

A Wheat Harvest System Simulation Model (WHSSM) was developed and used to study the effect of different climatic conditions on returns in three main wheat growing regions in Australia. The study was carried out using 15 years (1991–2005) historical weather data for Goondiwindi, Scaddan and Tamworth. It is found that the weather conditions during the harvest period could have a significant influence on the predicted returns. For the given farm setups, the optimum harvest moisture contents for different climatic regions were quite different. For the given control parameters, the optimum harvest moisture contents for Goondiwindi, Scaddan and Tamworth were 14, 15 and 17%, respectively. Growers in a dry and warm location (e.g. Goondiwindi) would be able to delay their harvests to a later date. They would also be able to gain a better return than growers in wet and cool regions (e.g. Tamworth or Scaddan). This paper highlights the importance of optimising the integration between agricultural machinery used, crop performance and perceived weather risk.