Wheat has been grown in Australia since European settlement, initially to feed colonists, but soon as an export crop. Although total national production, 19 Mt (five-year average 2003–2008), remains small by world standards, the high proportion (60%) that is exported ranks Australia fourth, after the USA, Canada, and the EU, among wheat exporting countries.

This chapter describes the continuing evolution of wheat-cropping systems in semi-arid southern Australia (annual rainfall 300–500 mm) using yield data for the State of Victoria from soon after inception of the industry c. 1800. The analysis reveals how a sequence of cropping systems has developed in response to technological innovation, economic incentives, and societal pressures. Economic pressure to compete on world markets has been, and will likely remain, a major driver of change in these cropping systems. Producers receive little subsidy to relieve competitive pressure. Among OECD countries, subsidies account for 25 and 40% of farm income in the USA and the EU, respectively, but only 6% in Australia. Driving forces for change may be further complicated by widely anticipated climate change.

Producers, agronomists, and researchers now have access to new tools to meet the increasingly complex objectives that must account for variability in climatic and economic environments, and also address societal interests. The principles and range of strategies and tactics available to combat crop response to low and variable rainfall have been presented in Chapters 9 and 13.