This study reviews published information on the tactical management decisions needed to maximise economic grain yield in winter-dominant rainfall regions of the Mediterranean type. Tactical decisions are defined as those relating to the period from immediately before sowing to harvest. Tactical management is the principal means by which farmers respond to changing environmental and short-term economic conditions as the season progresses. The review considers published evidence that underpins these decisions and relates to cereal crops (wheat, barley and oats), pulse crops (field pea, faba bean, chickpea and narrow-leaved lupin) and canola.

The criteria used to guide management decisions during the season involve soil and tissue tests for nutrients, knowledge of weed numbers and resistance status in the current and previous seasons, weather conditions that favour disease development, and knowledge of thresholds and biology of insect pests that may warrant control measures. All of these decisions can be related to the timing of the opening rains and the length of the growing season; the crop, pasture or weeds present in the previous two seasons; the presence of pest- and disease-bearing crop residues; and the type of tillage in use. Most of these indicators require further refinement through research across environments, soil types, crop types and production systems.

The likely interactions between tactical or short-term management decisions, longer term or strategic decisions, and genetic factors are discussed. The prevalent use of chemicals in the management of biotic factors that can impact the crops is noted, as is progress towards various systems of ‘integrated’ management of these threats to crop production. Most tactical decisions in rainfed cropping systems appear to be supported by adequate evidence, although some decisions are still based on practical experience and observations.

Application of tactical management practices together with strategic management and use of improved genotypes provides the possibility of achieving rainfall-limited potential grain yield at a regional scale. The papers reviewed have been selected partly on the basis that the experimental treatments achieved the estimated potential grain yield. Where the potential grain yields are not being achieved in commercial crops, it remains unclear whether this is due to inadequate adoption of existing information or inadequate research to identify and address the underlying causes. We highlight the need to devise a simple decision aid to assist farmers and their advisers to respond to the variable seasonal conditions evident since the turn of the Century.

这项研究回顾了有关在地中海类型的冬季为主的降雨地区最大化经济谷物产量所需的战术管理决策的公开信息。战术决策被定义为与从播种前到收获的时期有关的决策。战术管理是农民随着季节的发展而应对不断变化的环境和短期经济状况的主要手段。该评论考虑了支持这些决定的公开证据，涉及谷物作物（小麦，大麦和燕麦），豆类作物（田豆，蚕豆，鹰嘴豆和窄叶羽扇豆）和低芥酸菜籽。

用于指导本季节管理决策的标准包括土壤和组织营养测试，当前和先前季节的杂草数量和抗性状况知识，有利于疾病发展的天气条件以及可能引起害虫的阈值和生物学知识保证措施。所有这些决定都可能与降雨的时机和生长季节的长短有关。前两个季节中存在的农作物，牧场或杂草；存在病虫害的农作物残留物；以及使用的耕种类型。这些指标大多数都需要通过对环境，土壤类型，作物类型和生产系统的研究来进一步完善。

讨论了战术或短期管理决策，长期或战略决策与遗传因素之间可能的相互作用。注意到化学品在可能影响作物的生物因子管理中的普遍使用，以及对这些对作物生产的威胁进行“综合”管理的各种系统的进展。尽管某些决策仍基于实际经验和观察，但雨育作物系统中的大多数战术决策似乎都得到了充分的证据支持。

战术管理实践的应用以及战略管理和改进基因型的使用提供了在区域范围内实现降雨限制的潜在谷物单产的可能性。审查的论文部分是基于实验处理达到了估计的潜在谷物产量的基础上选择的。在商业作物未实现潜在谷物产量的地方，尚不清楚这是否是由于现有信息的采用不足或由于未能确定和解决根本原因而进行的研究不足。我们强调需要设计一种简单的决策辅助工具，以帮助农民及其顾问应对世纪之交以来明显的季节性变化。