Exante assessment of dual-purpose sweet potato in the crop–livestock system of western Kenya: A minimum-data approach

Mixed crop–livestock systems have a crucial role to play in meeting the agricultural production challenges of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Sweet potato is seen as a potential remedial crop for these farmers because of its high productivity and low input requirements, while its usefulness for both food and feed (dual-purpose) make it attractive in areas where land availability is declining. In this paper, we develop and apply a ‘minimum-data’ methodology to assess exante the economic viability of adopting dual-purpose sweet potato in Vihiga district, western Kenya. The methodology uses and integrates available socio-economic and bio-physical data on farmers’ land use allocation, production, and input and output use. Spatially heterogeneous characteristics of the current system regarding resources and productivity are analyzed to assess the profitability of substituting dual-purpose sweet potato for other crops currently grown for food and feed. Results indicate that a substantial number of farmers in the study area could benefit economically from adopting dual-purpose sweet potato. Depending on assumptions made, the adoption rate, expressed as the percentage of the total land under adopting farms, is between 55% and 80%. The analysis shows that the adoption rate is likely to vary positively with the average total yield of dual-purpose sweet potato, the harvest index (the ratio between tuber and fodder yields), the price of milk, and the nutritional value of available fodder. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the minimum-data methodology and provides evidence to support the hypothesis that dissemination of the dual-purpose sweet potato could help improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers operating in mixed crop–livestock systems in east Africa.     

A conceptual framework for guiding the participatory development of agricultural decision support systems

Scientists develop decision support systems (DSSs) to make agricultural science more accessible for farmers and extension officers. Despite the growing use of participatory approaches in agricultural DSS development, reflection on this endeavour has largely focused on the ‘doing’ of participation or the ‘problem of implementation’ when DSSs have not been adopted by stakeholders. There has been little reference to relevant theoretical approaches to the social processes involved in ‘participation’ or ‘implementation’. However, if DSS use is to reach its full potential, a more conceptually informed understanding of how stakeholders collaborate in the participatory development of DSSs is required. To contribute to this conceptualisation, we developed a framework based on three concepts drawn from the field of science and technology studies: technological frames, interpretative flexibility and boundary objects. The framework highlights the importance and value of social learning for participatory DSS development, which relies upon exploring the participating parties’ different perspectives on the agricultural system represented in the DSS. Our framework provides a broad definition of success for participatory DSS development, placing greater weight on learning during the participatory process compared with subsequent use of the DSS by farmers and/or advisors. Two case studies of stakeholder collaboration to develop an irrigation scheduling DSS for sugarcane production were used to explore the relevance of the framework. The concepts in the framework were clearly displayed during the case studies. At the conclusion of the studies there were contrasting outcomes for the DSS. One group of farmers was keen to apply it in their ongoing irrigation management, while another saw little relative advantage in use of the DSS. In both instances co-learning occurred amongst case study participants, so the participatory process was clearly a success.     

Performance assessment of small irrigation schemes along the Mauritanian banks of the Senegal River

Irrigation plays a fundamental role in world food provision but, to date, it has performed below expectations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The present study assesses and diagnoses the performance of 22 small and medium size community-managed irrigation schemes, mainly devoted to rice production, in different locations along the Mauritanian banks of the Lower Senegal River. The evaluations followed the Rapid Appraisal Process in which semi-structured interviews were held with representatives of the Cooperatives’ Boards in charge of each scheme to obtain information about the organisation of the cooperative, land tenure, irrigation system and organization, cropping pattern and soils. Additionally, for each irrigation scheme, the water-delivery service was characterized by making qualitative and comparative observations during field inspections; the pumping station's performance was diagnosed by a local specialist; the discharge at the head of the system was measured; daily irrigation time was recorded; and crop yields were determined by plot sampling. Then a set of performance indicators was computed. Water delivery capacity referred to irrigated areas was insufficient in a third of the schemes, and this insufficiency was exacerbated by poor maintenance. Irrigation intensity in habilitated areas was rather low being less than 0.66 in 50% of the schemes. The average productivity of land, irrigation water, and fuel (3.38 t ha⁻¹, 0.30 kg m⁻³ and 2.37 kg kWh⁻¹, respectively) were well below potential.     

Exploring options for farm-level strategic and tactical decision-making in fruit production systems of South Patagonia,Argentina

In South Patagonia, Argentina, sweet cherry is the main fruit-tree crop grown for export, resulting in a highly seasonal labour demand. Managers of deciduous perennial fruit orchards must consider both biological and economic relationships in selecting crop species and orchard design. This makes decisions at the farm-level extremely complex, as especially in such perennial crops, strategic (‘what to plant’, ‘with which technology’ and ‘how much area of each activity’, i.e. the final design) and tactical (‘when, what and how to plant in time’, the pathway to the planned farm) decisions have a long-term effect. The objective of this study was to explore the consequences of different strategic and tactical decisions at farm scale in fruit production systems of South Patagonia, considering the variation in interests and aims of different stakeholders, and using a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the consequences of possible changes in external conditions. A dynamic farm-scale optimization model called OPTIFROP was developed to generate alternative farm development plans, by allocating, in the course of the time horizon of the run, production activities to different land units, while optimising different objective functions, subject to several constraints. Although time-dependent, dynamic, mathematical programming models for analysing farming systems have been described in literature, the dynamic aspects of long-term decision-making in orchard design and their impact on the sequential (annual) nature of orchards in different growth phases (i.e. medium-term decision-making), need a higher time-staged dynamic approach with a staircase matrix structure. The model includes two objective functions at farm level: (1) maximization of the present value of cumulative financial result, which is the main objective for growers, and (2) maximization of cumulative farm labour, which is an objective often mentioned by policy makers. The inter-months deviation for labour demand (during the period of high labour demand, November–April) was included as an upper-bound. Input and output coefficients for the land use options considered in OPTIFROP were quantified using the Technical Coefficient Generator FRUPAT. Model results indicated that the present value of cumulative financial result and the cumulative farm labour are conflicting to a very limited extent. Timing and feasibility of implementing certain combinations of production technologies are affected by resource endowments and initial conditions, but these factors do not influence land use selection in the long term. Land use selection is driven by the objectives of the stakeholders. OPTIFROP showed that, through introduction of alternative crops, substantial reductions in labour peaks in the period November–April could be achieved with a relatively small reduction in farm income. The sensitivity of the model solution to the cherry price suggests that the fruit production sector of South Patagonia should pay more attention to the robustness of their land use plans and take preventive measures to avoid being caught by a possible crisis due to changes in the context.     

水利现代化的战略绩效评价及模型探析

水利现代化建设是我国新时期水利事业开展的新战略,各地区都围绕各自的实际情况,制定了水利现代化建设的战略和方案,构建合理的水利现代化绩效评价体系至关重要。本文通过分析现有的水利现代化绩效评价的现状和问题,针对目前评价体系出现的“偏离战略”、“结果导向”、“偏重经济指标”等局限性,提出了水利现代化战略绩效评价的理念,并探索用平衡计分卡的方法构建水利现代化战略绩效评价模型。     

Communicating complexity: Integrated assessment of trade-offs concerning soil fertility management within African farming systems to support innovation and development

African farming systems are highly heterogeneous: between agroecological and socioeconomic environments, in the wide variability in farmers’ resource endowments and in farm management. This means that single solutions (or ‘silver bullets’) for improving farm productivity do not exist. Yet to date few approaches to understand constraints and explore options for change have tackled the bewildering complexity of African farming systems. In this paper we describe the Nutrient Use in Animal and Cropping systems - Efficiencies and Scales (NUANCES) framework. NUANCES offers a structured approach to unravel and understand the complexity of African farming to identify what we term ‘best-fit’ technologies - technologies targeted to specific types of farmers and to specific niches within their farms. The NUANCES framework is not ‘just another computer model’! We combine the tools of systems analysis and experimentation, detailed field observations and surveys, incorporate expert knowledge (local knowledge and results of research), generate databases, and apply simulation models to analyse performance of farms, and the impacts of introducing new technologies. We have analysed and described complexity of farming systems, their external drivers and some of the mechanisms that result in (in)efficient use of scarce resources. Studying sites across sub-Saharan Africa has provided insights in the trajectories of change in farming systems in response to population growth, economic conditions and climate variability (cycles of drier and wetter years) and climate change. In regions where human population is dense and land scarce, farm typologies have proven useful to target technologies between farmers of different production objectives and resource endowment (notably in terms of land, labour and capacity for investment). In such regions we could categorise types of fields on the basis of their responsiveness to soil improving technologies along soil fertility gradients, relying on local indicators to differentiate those that may be managed through ‘maintenance fertilization’ from fields that are highly-responsive to fertilizers and fields that require rehabilitation before yields can improved. Where human population pressure on the land is less intense, farm and field types are harder to discern, without clear patterns. Nutrient cycling through livestock is in principle not efficient for increasing food production due to increased nutrient losses, but is attractive for farmers due to the multiple functions of livestock. We identified trade-offs between income generation, soil conservation and community agreements through optimising concurrent objectives at farm and village levels. These examples show that future analyses must focus at farm and farming system level and not at the level of individual fields to achieve appropriate targeting of technologies - both between locations and between farms at any given location. The approach for integrated assessment described here can be used ex ante to explore the potential of best-fit technologies and the ways they can be best combined at farm level. The dynamic and integrated nature of the framework allows the impact of changes in external drivers such as climate change or development policy to be analysed. Fundamental questions for integrated analysis relate to the site-specific knowledge and the simplification of processes required to integrate and move from one level to the next.     

Traditional cropping systems in northwestern Spain (Galicia)

Traditional crops and cropping systems in small-farm agriculture are the result of many years of evolution and selection by the farmers, generally directed towards self-consumption. These systems have been normally based on multiple cropping and intercropping and have been described in areas of Africa, America and Asia, but not generally in Europe. This paper presents the case of Galicia, a region, located in the northwestern corner of Spain, where traditional family land division and other sociological factors have led to a small-farm situation. Surveys conducted in Galicia previous to a thorough investigation of cropping systems show that multiple cropping and intercropping have been the basis of agricultural systems and they are still used extensively. At present, there are three basic crop rotations which differ in the degree of cropping intensity. The three rotations are the annual sequence of corn-Italian ryegrass (intercropped), a 2-year system consisting of corn or potatoes-wheat or rye-turnips and a 2-year system of rye (fallow). A variety of intermediate forms is found that can be considered as having evolved from the three basic rotations. The study also shows how climatic conditions and other factors such as soil fertility, type of farming and labour requirements affect cropping intensity and how the level of intensification influences the total annual dry matter yield per unit of land. These yields can vary from 17–21 t ha⁻¹ in rainfed conditions in the most intensive areas to 2·4 to 3·5 t ha⁻¹ in the rye (fallow) system. At present, the cropping systems of many areas of Galicia are rapidly changing toward a more commercial type of agriculture, because of technical, economic or sociological factors.     

Heterogeneity in land resources and diversity in farming practices in Tigray,Ethiopia

The management of soils is an important issue for policy makers in Ethiopia. However, most of the interventions designed to conserve the soil resources have fallen short of the expectations, performing impressively in the short run, but proving unsustainable on a long-term basis. There are no simple explanations for the failure of these interventions to reverse soil degradation, but it has been evident for some time that there is an uneasy connection between ‘objective’ assessments of the state of the land and the way this information is used in the policy-making processes. It is now widely accepted that understanding the processes of the soil degradation is not simply a matter of analysing changes in the stock of physical and nutrient capital. While studies of nutrient balances are an important component of research in soil erosion and land degradation, their results need to be considered in the context of social, cultural and political factors.     

Integrated agricultural research and crop breeding: Allelopathic weed control in cereals and long-term productivity in perennial biomass crops

Future agricultural research will need to increasingly integrate ecological, physiological and molecular methods, in order to understand agricultural crops in situ and their interaction with the environment as well as organisms impacting on their long-term health and productivity (‘agricultural eco-genomics’). The need for integration will increasingly implicate on crop breeding strategies for most agricultural systems. In this paper, implications are highlighted for two contrasting areas of agricultural research related to sustainable crop production: first, the possibilities to utilize crop allelopathic activity to suppress weeds as an alternative to chemical weed control; and second the increasing interest to environmentally friendly and sustainable produce perennial energy crops on agricultural land. ‘Sustainability’ in agriculture is difficult to define unequivocally, but frequently implies the increased utilization of ecological processes. Breeding strategies towards increased utilization of allelopathic crops require initially the integration and verification of allelopathic processes in various agricultural contexts, because there is currently great uncertainty about the predictable operation of allelopathic activity in different ecological contexts. Breeding programs for future biomass crops, most promising are perennials such as Salix, would greatly benefit from the integration of ecological information affecting long-term productivity, e.g., eco-physiological growth determinants at stand level and the biological control of pests. Agricultural eco-genomics could facilitate a compromise between intensive agriculture and the frequently expressed demand for greater sustainability in agriculture.     

Influence of plant traits on production costs and profitability of strawberry in southeast Queensland

In Queensland the subtropical strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) breeding program aims to combine traits into novel genotypes that increase production efficiency. The contribution of individual plant traits to cost and income under subtropical Queensland conditions was investigated, with the overall goal of improving the profitability of the industry through the release of new strawberry cultivars. The study involved specifying the production and marketing system using three cultivars of strawberry that are currently widely grown annually in southeast Queensland, developing methods to assess the economic impact of changes to the system, and identifying plant traits that influence outcomes from the system.From May through September P (price; $ punnet⁻¹), V (monthly mass; tonne of fruit on the market) and M (calendar month; i.e. May = 5) were found to be related (r² = 0.92) by the function (±SE) P = 4.741(±0.469) − 0.001630(±0.0005)V − 0.226(±0.102)M using data from 2006 to 2010 for the Brisbane central market. Both income and cost elements in the gross margin were subject to sensitivity analysis.‘Harvesting’ and ‘Handling/Packing’ ‘Groups’ of ‘Activities’ were the major contributors to variable costs (each >20%) in the gross margin analysis. Within the ‘Harvesting Group’, the ‘Picking Activity’ contributed most (>80%) with the trait ‘display of fruit’ having the greatest (33%) influence on the cost of the ‘Picking Activity’. Within the ‘Handling/Packing Group’, the ‘Packing Activity’ contributed 50% of costs with the traits ‘fruit shape’, ‘fruit size variation’ and ‘resistance to bruising’ having the greatest (12-62%) influence on the cost of the ‘Packing Activity’. Non-plant items (e.g. carton purchases) made up the other 50% of the costs within the ‘Handling/Packing Group’. When any of the individual traits in the ‘Harvesting’ and ‘Handling/Packing’ groups were changed by one unit (on a 1-9 scale) the gross margin changed by up to 1%. Increasing yield increased the gross margin to a maximum (15% above present) at 1320 g plant⁻¹ (94% above present). A 10% redistribution of total yield from September to May increased the gross margin by 23%. Increasing fruit size increased gross margin: a 75% increase in fruit size (to ≈30 g) produced a 22% increase in the gross margin.The modified gross margin analysis developed in this study allowed simultaneous estimation of the gross margin for the producer and gross value of the industry. These parameters sometimes move in opposite directions.     

分体式小麦免耕播种机的设计

针对我国北方一年两熟地区夏玉米秸秆覆盖地,秸秆覆盖量比较大,免耕播种冬小麦容易发生堵塞等问题,设计开发了分体式小麦免耕播种机.该机采用条带旋耕与单圆盘播种镇压单体联合防堵机构.该机一次完成施肥、秸秆粉碎、碎土镇压、开沟播种、镇压等作业.该播种机主要由施肥旋耕系统、连杆连接系统和播种系统组成.田间试验结果表明:在夏玉米秸秆覆盖下小麦免耕播种,对土壤扰动量在25%～30%左右,作业质量符合农艺要求;机具结构设计合理,为中国北方一年两熟地区夏玉米秸秆覆盖地表直播小麦提供了技术支持.     

Sustainable recovery of soil desiccation in semi-humid region on the Loess Plateau

Soil desiccation is one of the key factors to influence the sustainable development of crop production on the Loess Plateau of China. Depletion of soil water during growth period and its recovery in the fallow period is influenced by the amount of rainfall, its distribution, the type of crop and its rotation sequence. This study analyzed depletion and restoration of soil water for different cropping systems, based on a series of long-term experimental data at Changwu Agriculture Station from 1985 to 2001. Results of this study indicated that: (1) temporary soil desiccation took place in 1-3 m soil for MM, PWM and MW cropping system. (2) Permanent soil desiccation took place in 1-5 m and 1-10 m soil for APW and AF cropping system respectively. (3) When a rotation system was built to recover soil desiccation, broomcorn millet and potato can be considered first pea and spring maize also can be considered in rainy years or normal years. During fallow period, mulch or canopy can relief the soil desiccation in winter wheat land.     

Identifying and understanding factors influencing the uptake of new technologies on dairy farms in SW England using the theory of reasoned action

Whilst much is known of new technology adopters, little research has addressed the role of their attitudes in adoption decisions; particularly, for technologies with evident economic potential that have not been taken up by farmers. This paper presents recent research that has used a new approach which examines the role that adopters’ attitudes play in identifying the drivers of and barriers to adoption. The study was concerned with technologies for livestock farming systems in SW England, specifically oestrus detection, nitrogen supply management, and, inclusion of white clover. The adoption behaviour is analysed using the social–psychology theory of reasoned action to identify factors that affect the adoption of technologies, which are confirmed using principal components analysis. The results presented here relate to the specific adoption behaviour regarding the Milk Development Council’s recommended observation times for heat detection. The factors that affect the adoption of this technology are: cost effectiveness, improved detection and conception rates as the main drivers, whilst the threat to demean the personal knowledge and skills of a farmer in ‘knowing’ their cows is a barrier. This research shows clearly that promotion of a technology and transfer of knowledge for a farming system need to take account of the beliefs and attitudes of potential adopters.     

Learning selection revisited: How can agricultural researchers make a difference?

Ten years ago we developed, and published in this journal, the learning selection model to describe the development and early adoption of researcher-developed agricultural equipment in Southeast Asia. In this paper, we update the innovation histories of the three main technologies upon which the model was based and carry out some mapping and analysis of the post-harvest research networks in three countries. We find that the evolutionary algorithm based on interactive experiential learning remains valid. However, in the case of the most successful technology - the flat-bed dryer in Vietnam - the R&D team did not withdraw once a critical mass of manufacturers and users were familiar with the technology, as the model says should happen, but rather continued to champion the technology. In the process they developed major improvements to the original design, and a new type of dryer. They achieved far greater impact than any other team. They were successful largely because they were able to work with the same networks of partners, in the same innovation trajectory, for 25 years. We find evidence of institutional support in working in this way. Their role was to make the major modifications while local users, manufacturers and promoters made local adaptations and ‘bug fixes’. This way of working is similar to that of plant breeders working for the public sector and by many researchers in the private sector. However, current trends in international research towards ‘projectization’ on one hand, and the requirement to produce international public goods (IPGs) on the other means that researchers do not stay working for long enough with the same partners because funding keeps changing, nor do they work locally enough because of the expectation that they should generate new IPGs from scratch every one or two project cycles.     

Effect of different irrigation regimes on carbohydrate partitioning in leaves and wood of two table olive cultivars (Olea europaea L. cv. Meski and Picholine)

In this study, changes in carbohydrate composition were investigated at the end of the biological cycle of two important table olive cultivars ‘Meski’ and ‘Picholine’ grown in Tunisia under different irrigation regimes. A control treatment [100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc)] and a stress treatment (50% ETc) were considered. At the end of August, leaf water potential was measured and sugar compounds were determined in mature leaves and in the wood of fruit-bearing branches by gas chromatography. The leaf water potential increased with the stress treatment in both cultivars, but the increase was more pronounced with ‘Picholine’ than with ‘Meski’. Glucose, fructose, mannitol, sucrose, galactose and inositol were the main sugars found in the leaves and wood of olive trees. Glucose, fructose and mannitol accounted for 90% of the total soluble carbohydrate fraction. The fraction and amount of these sugars changed between cultivars and with irrigation treatment. In the control treatment, the leaves of Meski showed a high level of glucose (48%), fructose (19%) and mannitol (25%), while the leaves of Picholine showed amounts of 57, 15 and 17%, respectively. The restriction of irrigation water (50% ETc) induces an accumulation of glucose in the leaves and wood of ‘Meski’ and an accumulation of mannitol and glucose in the wood of ‘Picholine’, while the leaves showed only an increase in mannitol.     

Satisfying future water demands for agriculture

The global demand for water in agriculture will increase over time with increasing population, rising incomes, and changes in dietary preferences. Increasing demands for water by industrial and urban users, and water for the environment will intensify competition. At the same time, water scarcity is increasing in several important agricultural areas.We explore several pathways for ensuring that sufficient food is produced in the future, while also protecting the environment and reducing poverty. We examine four sets of scenarios that vary in their focus on investments in rainfed agriculture and irrigation, and the role of international trade in adjusting for national disparities in water endowments. Rainfed agriculture holds considerable potential but requires adequate mechanisms to reduce inherent risks. Irrigation expansion is warranted in places where water infrastructure is underinvested such as sub-Saharan Africa. In South Asia the scope for improving irrigation performance and water productivity is high. International trade can help alleviate water problems in water-scarce areas, subject to economic and political considerations. We examine also a regionally optimized scenario that combines investments in rainfed and irrigated agriculture with strategic trade decisions. Compared to ‘business as usual’, this scenario reduces the amount of additional water required to meet food demands by 2050 by 80%. Some of that water could be made available for the environment and other sectors. We conclude that there are sufficient land and water resources available to satisfy global food demands during the next 50 years, but only if water is managed more effectively in agriculture.     

Optimization of yield and water-use of different cropping systems for sustainable groundwater use in North China Plain

A groundwater crisis is going on in the North China Plain (NCP), due to the excessive water consumption of the traditional winter wheat (WW)/summer maize (SM) double cropping system (two harvests in one year). In order to improve the water use efficiency in this particular cropping system and to evaluate the sustainability of water usage in Chinese agroecosystems, two field experiments were conducted from October 2004 to September 2006 at two sites of the North China Plain. The field experiments included four treatments: (1) farmers’ practice (FP) with two harvests in one year (WW/SM rotation), (2) FP with reduced input (RI) of water and nitrogen (WW/SM rotation), (3) three harvests in two years (TW, 1st year: WW/SM; 2nd year: spring maize), and (4) continuous spring-maize monoculture (CS) with one harvest per year (spring maize). In the treatments RI, TW and CS, the amount and timing of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization was optimized using TDR based soil moisture measurements and the N_min-method, respectively. Data showed that the utilization efficiency of irrigation water can be improved by optimizing soil water management compared to the traditional water management (FP). However, the groundwater net consumption required for RI still surpassed 300 mm yr⁻¹. Both FP and RI, still overused groundwater resources. The groundwater consumption in the continuous spring maize (CS) was on average 139 mm yr⁻¹. Therefore, the CS system can show the potential to use groundwater sustainably in the long term. Water usage of the TW treatment was in between the water usage of the other treatments. The grain yields in the double cropping systems (FP and RI) were higher than that in the two other systems (TW and CS). But the CS treatment showed the higher W_UE than others.     

Risk and economic sustainability of crop farming systems

In economic terms, resilience in farming has to do with the capacity of a farm business to survive various risks and other shocks. Despite its importance, resilience has seldom been directly considered in evaluations of economic sustainability. A whole-farm stochastic simulation model over a 6-year planning horizon was used to analyse organic and conventional cropping systems using a model of a representative farm in Eastern Norway. The relative economic sustainability of alternative systems under changing assumptions about future technology and price regimes was examined in terms of financial survival to the end of the planning period. The same alternatives were also compared in terms of stochastic efficiency. To model the risk of business failure adequately there is a need to deal with the risk of bankruptcy, and a modification of traditional analysis was used for that purpose. The organic farming system was found to be somewhat less economically sustainable than the conventional system, especially if the organic price premiums and the organic area payments were to be phased out. The results illustrate possible conflicts between pursuit of risk efficiency and economic sustainability. The model developed could be used to support farmers’ choices between farming systems as well as to help policy makers develop more sharply targeted policies.     

Emerging consensus on desirable characteristics of tools to support farmers’ management of climate risk in Australia

The prospect that decision support systems (DSS) can help farmers adjust their management to suit seasonal conditions by putting scientific knowledge and rational risk management algorithms at farmers’ fingertips continues to challenge the science and extension community. A number of reviews of agricultural DSS have called for a re-appraisal of the field and for the need to reflect on past mistakes and to learn from social and management theory. The objective of this paper was to investigate whether there is an emerging consensus, among stakeholders in DSS for Australian agriculture, about the lessons learned from past experience with DSS tools. This investigation was conducted in three parts. The first part was a distillation of suggestions for best practice from the relevant literature. The second part was a reflection on what the champions of five current DSS development and delivery efforts in Australia learned from their recent efforts. The third part tested the level of support for the combined findings from the first and second approaches by surveying 23 stakeholders in the research, development, delivery and funding of DSS.The key propositions relating to best practice that were supported by the survey, listed according to the strength of support, were: 1. It is essential to have a plan for delivery of the DSS beyond the initial funding period. 2. DSS need to be embedded in a support network consisting of farmers, consultants and researchers. 3. DSS development requires the commitment of a critical mass of appropriately skilled people. 4. A DSS should aim to educate farmers’ intuition rather than replace it with optimised recommendations. 5. A DSS should enable users to experiment with options that satisfy their needs rather than attempt to present ‘optimised’ solutions. 6. DSS tools stand on the quality and authority of their underlying science and require ongoing improvement, testing and validation. 7. DSS development should not commence unless it is backed by marketing information and a plan for delivery of the DSS beyond the initial funding period.While the DSS stakeholders supported the proposition that it is essential to have a plan for delivery of a DSS beyond the funding period, the majority resisted the notion of DSS development being market-driven and especially commercial delivery of DSS. We argue that since public funding of the delivery of DSS for farmers’ management of climate risk is highly unlikely, reaping the benefits of lessons learned from past efforts will require that DSS stakeholders change their perception of the commercial delivery model or find an alternative way to fund the delivery of DSS beyond the R&D phase.