Media release no.
Gazing into a crystal ball to gain an insight into the season ahead could be an invaluable tool for grain growers to maximise year's crop. Dr Stephens' research shows that the Australian agricultural region could be entering an El Nino phase in ocean and weather patterns. The opposite of the El Nino phase is the La Nina phase, which suggests a period of increased rainfall activity. These two periods can also be punctuated with a period of normal climatic variability. Dr Stephens' research has focused on trying to identify indicators for the start and finish of an El Nino period and how long it will last.