Actual YieldAverage yields achieved in commercial fields. Reflects seasonal conditions as well as farmers’ natural endowment, access to technology, and their skill and exposure to market forces. Here yields are spatially aggregated over a Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) and temporally aggregated over 15 years
Best management practiceLocally proven and recommended technologies such as sowing dates, planting density and cultivar as well as tillage practices, fallow management and cropping sequences.
DecileDeciles are ten equal categories of yield ranging from Decile 1 (lowest 10% of yields) to Decile 10 (highest 10% of yields). Yield gaps and relative yields for each decile are calculated from the actual yields and water-limited yields of the same decile.
Ecological IntensificationProducing more food per unit resource use while minimising the impact of food production on the environment.
Exploitable Yield GapThe difference between Y% = 80% and Ya. Based on observations that farmers’ yields plateau at 80% of Yw, probably due to diminishing returns to investment and aversion to risk as well as logistic issues and extreme events such as hail and stem frost.
Food SecurityFood security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Relative YieldAn expression of Actual Yield relative to Water-limited Yield (Calculated as Y% = 100 x Ya/Yw).
Statistical Areas Level 2Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s) replace the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) and are defined by the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). The ASGS is a hierarchical geographical classification used in the collection and dissemination of official statistics. There are 2214 SA2s(...)
Statistical Local AreaA geographical area roughly equivalent to a Shire. It is a unit of aggregation for data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Water-limited yieldThe yield of an adapted crop variety when grown under rainfed conditions with best management practices to minimise growth limitations from nutrients, pests and diseases. Here yields are spatially aggregated over a Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) and temporally aggregated over 15 years.
Yield GapThe yield gap for a rainfed crop is the difference between current average farm yields and the yield that can be achieved when water and the environment are the only factors limiting yield. For an irrigated crop the yield gap is the difference between current average irrigated farm yields and(...)
Yield PotentialThe yield of an adapted crop variety when grown under fully irrigated (or unlimited rainfall) conditions with best management practices to minimise growth limitations from nutrients, pests and diseases
