AUSTRALIA must spend more on rural R&D to help farmers lift productivity and tackle climate change, leading researchers say.

Enzo Allara, who heads the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations Chairs, has also warned against any funding cuts.

"We need to be investing more rather than less," he said. "At the same time, stakeholders in the research need to be assured money is invested wisely and effectively."

Speaking at a panel debate hosted by the council last week, Mr Allara said research into reducing emissions and adapting to climate change should be "embedded" in every rural research program.

"We have to keep investing heavily in climate change," Mr Allara said.

"We have to be able to manage farm emissions more effectively, understand them and deal with them on a case-by-case basis.

"But you have to be clear on priorities and strategies ... and we need to get a faster rate of adoption into the field."

Former Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics chief Brian Fisher also warned of a "serious under-investment" in rural R&D.

If favourable benefit-cost estimates for rural R&D projects were only half right, "we should be pouring more money into agricultural research", he said.

Dr Fisher said while on-farm research was important, so too were trade and marketing aspects.

"We need a major focus on farm level research to help farmers reduce costs in all sorts of circumstances," he said. "But it's important not to forget the international issues."

Dr Fisher said Australian researchers must re-focus on the impact of global warming on farm production and trade.

Climate change could see production in tropical areas drop dramatically, while areas further from the equator would expand and farm trade patterns would also change.

"No one in Australia is looking carefully at these issues," Dr Fisher said.

Mr Allara said the funding model for Australia's 16 rural R&D corporations, involving industry levies and federal funds, had delivered good results for farmers and the wider community for 20 years.

Thirty-two projects selected randomly from the R&D corporations last year found every dollar invested had generated a return of $11, he said.