Crop Courses

Australia is an important supplier of cereals, sugar, and fruit to the world, as well as a major producer and exporter of a wide variety of agricultural products. Known for its vast stations where sheep and cattle are raised on the native land, Australia is short of arable land and must grow its crops on just 6.9% of the total land area.

Cereals, notably wheat, barley and sorghum, are produced on a large scale in Australia mainly for livestock feed but also for human consumption. The average production of wheat is 20,552 kilo tonnes (1,000 metric tons), followed by barley at just under 6,000. After that the numbers drop drastically. Oilseeds such as cotton, canola and sunflower are important products, with leguminous feed crops such as lupines, chickpeas, lentils and broad beans rounding out the top dozen.

The effects of climate change are marked in Australia, and it is important to study improved irrigation methods as well as to experiment with other crops that may feed us and our animals more efficiently. Several of our courses offer a wealth of information about irrigating crops, soil and nutrition, plant biology, resource management and many other areas of outdoor plant production, going far beyond the traditional field crops to include fruit and nuts, vegetables and herbs, flowers and trees. Crop systems are studied in depth to ensure that the best method is used for each different crop. By learning about crop production, you can help Australia feed itself and other parts of the world.