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Climate and production
Climate and weather have a major impact on agricultural and horticultural enterprises and land management practices. The climate of a region will determine the plants and animals that can be successfully grown or raised there. Many districts have a history of enterprises that have failed because they were not suited to the climate.
Rainfall, or the lack of it, is the major limiting factor for plant growth and associated animal production in Australia. Large areas of the country are unsuited to most agricultural enterprises because of low rainfall. In these regions only plants and animals adapted to dry conditions can be successfully raised without irrigation.
Too much rain, rain falling at the wrong time and high humidity can also limit some types of production. For example, sheep are not suited to the eastern coast of Australia where the high humidity increases the risk of foot and fleece rot.
Temperature is also a very important factor in plant and animal production.
High temperatures:
- increase evaporation rates from soil, especially in windy conditions
- cause wilting which may kill plants if the soil is already dry
- reduce growth rates of pastures and crops
- lead to sunburn of fruit crops that are directly exposed to the sun
- increase problems with pests and diseases, especially if there is high humidity
- reduce feed intake in livestock as they seek shade rather than graze.
Low temperatures:
- may prevent germination of summer crops
- can reduce the growth rate of pastures and crops
- can kill plants if temperatures are low enough to produce a severe frost
- may be needed by fruit crops to produce fruit of the required quantity and quality
- increase the feed requirements of livestock as they use energy reserves to keep warm
- increase the risk of death of newborn livestock and recently shorn sheep from wind chill in rainy, windy and/or snowy weather.
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