impact assessment report series - Grains Research & Development ...

Table 9: Categories of Benefits from the Soil Biology Cluster Investment
Levy Paying
Industry Other
Industries
Economic Benefits
1. Increased profits from
higher yields resulting
from more efficient use
of fertilisers, reduced
disease, and reduced
disease control costs.
Environmental Benefits
2. More sustainable
agriculture from reduced
reliance on manufactured
and mined fertilisers.
3. Reduced fungicide use
in farm environment
Social Benefits
4. Increased industry
research capacity
resulting from the
pioneering leadership
role GRDC had in
expanding soil biology
research
5. Benefits
resulting from
the pioneering
leadership role
GRDC had in
expanding soil
biology research
across RDCs
6. Potential use
of natural
inoculants to
reduce reliance
on manufactured
fertilisers
Spillovers
Public Foreign
7. Potential
benefits from the
research capacity
developed in soil
microbiology.
8. Reduced offfarm
export of
nutrients,
9. Reduced offfarm
export of
fungicides
10. Potential spinoff
benefits from
the research
capacity
developed in soil
microbiology
11. Potential
export markets
for inoculants
12. More
sustainable
agriculture
13.
International
scientific
collaboration
and capacity
building
Public versus Private Benefits
The benefits identified from the investment are predominantly private benefits,
namely benefits to grain producers predominantly in southern Australia. There also
will be some public benefits produced, mainly environmental in nature.
Benefits to other Primary Industries
The GRDC investment in the soil biology projects has been a catalyst for investments
by other R&D Corporations including those in broader soil health programs. The Soil
Biology Cluster includes three of the six themes in the GRDC Soil Biology Program.
The sixth theme was “GRDC Collaboration with other organisations” which included
collaborative programs with LWA and MLA.
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