Viability of New Intensive Crop Production in SA Riverland
The Riverland Futures Task Force engaged Scholefield Robinson to investigate new cropping systems that may give Riverland irrigators more flexibility to cope with future water restrictions by growing more annual crops rather than perennial crops that need to be maintained during periods of drought.
A range of vegetable crops with good market prospects were identified and investigated for growing under protected cropping systems including Asian vegetables, capsicum, cucumber, eggplant and tomato. Vegetables have not been grown widely in the Riverland and the change to annual cropping will require a new set of skills by existing irrigators or the introduction of a new group of growers with these skills to the Riverland. There is no simple answer to the question we were asked. The report is available on the Riverland Futures Task Force website:
www.riverlandfutures.sa.gov.au/cmsdocs/april10/RpbsViabIntensCropProd0310Final%20.pdf
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