Same tonnes, less water.
A Yenda grower and his agronomist are rethinking how rice is grown, just in time for the new season.
When temporary water traded as high as $350 a megalitre before planting last season, plenty of growers questioned whether rice would pay. At Yenda, Chris Morshead of Amberley Pastoral Co found a way to make it work, sowing his entire 160 hectare crop as aerobic rice, his first run at the system on a commercial scale.
The decision did not come out of nowhere. It followed three years of trials run with Yenda Producers agronomist James Mann and Deakin University’s Professor John Hornbuckle. Those trials recorded water savings of around 20-30%, and aerobic plots yielded up to 15.3 tonnes a hectare, about 0.5-1 tonne ahead of the traditional ponded comparison. This season there were 60 hectares of Matilda which yielded 13.31 tonnes per hectare while 100ha of Topaz averaged just over 10 tonnes per hecatre.
“For growers, that’s the difference between growing rice or not in years where options are limited,” James says. “We’ve now had three seasons of trials and a full commercial crop, and we’re yet to find a downside. There is still though plenty to learn.”
The agronomic benefits have stacked up alongside the water savings: stronger root development, a shorter plant with less lodging, and an easier harvest with the added benefits to the environment by reducing methane emissions. A low-cost automated irrigation system, developed by Professor Hornbuckle and simple enough for growers to build and repair themselves, keeps the flushing program running without adding labour.
During this time Deakin and Yenda Prods have undertaken trials for weed control, nutrition management and plenty of other agronomics for maximising yield and profitability, which will continue on in 2026/27.
Yenda Producers has been working alongside growers since 1925. As a member-owned co-operative, its agronomists are on the ground across the Riverina year-round, helping members plan rotations, water budgets and input programs well before the air seeder rolls.
With planning for the new rice season already underway, now is the time to talk varieties, water and inputs. Call in to your local Yenda Producers branch or speak with the agronomy team. Your Partners in Farming®.