Home » Global Agriculture » Beyond The Baseline: First Lessons From Farming Systems Trials. # Beyond The Baseline: First Lessons From Farming Systems Trials. 19 July 2026, AU: New insights into the most profitable and sustainable crop rotations in high, medium and low-rainfall zones are being revealed in comprehensive farming systems research for the southern region. Now these ‘baseline’ systems are providing an important reference point for research looking to understand how crops within a sequence interact to influence farm profitability and sustainability. The trials that began in 2023 are using the most common rotation in an area – as defined by local grower groups and advisers – as a ‘baseline’. And while we are not looking for a silver bullet, we have, in the project’s first 3 years, identified a number of opportunities to improve profit without compromising reliability or increasing risk.