CROP RESIDUE
Of all agricultural businesses managing crop residue, the main crop residue management practices undertaken were to leave stubble intact (48%), ploughing crop residue into the soil (34%) and removal of crop residue by baling or heavy grazing (23%).
Although most states and territories followed the national trend, more than two thirds of agricultural businesses in Western Australia that managed crop residue on their land left stubble intact (69%), while only 13% ploughed crop residue into the soil. In Queensland and Tasmania, the most common crop residue management practice undertaken was to plough crop residue into the soil (55% and 59% of agricultural businesses managing crop residue respectively).
Nationally, the area of crop residue management decreased by 3% to 24,000 hectares since 2007-08, influenced by a 10% decline in South Australia.