This RIRDC report provides the only available long-term, large sample measurements of mallee belt yield and competition impact. The analysis showed that a strong improvement in profitability might be achieved by widening the inter-row space of the standard two-row belt (currently 2 m) out to 8 m or more.
The report aims to provide hard evidence for policy makers, professions, entrepreneurs, natural resources management operatives and farmers to enable sound judgements to be made about likely viability of mallee biomass production. In particular, it hopes to sustain the confidence of the large number of farmers in WA who have undertaken pre-commercial mallee planting and indicated the grass-roots strength of the mallee concept.