PROJECT SUMMARY Productive pastures are a key driver for livestock and mixed farm business profitability; hence it is critical farmers are utilising productive pasture species best suited to their environment. In this project various pasture species and mixes were evaluated for their productivity and quality at BIGG and MNHRZ field demonstration sites.

PROJECT SUMMARY Pasture selection decisions can be challenging, especially when aiming to optimise production and livestock performance. In this project, BIGG and MNHRZ assessed and communicated the productivity of pasture species/mixes in local farming systems.

Who are the winners and losers in the wheat frost and variety debate?

Understanding frost and minimising financial risk due to frost in the MNHRZ

Mick Faulkner talks to Drew Radford about helping growers improve decision-making around frost-prone pdk zones thru trial work, supported by the MNHRZ and the @SADroughtHub

Three year summary from Giles Corner.

Why do the trials?
Nitrogen (N) management still remains an issue for growers and research has shown N deficiency is considered the biggest single cause of yield gap in Australian wheat. This project was established to build on existing knowledge around N management and to improve and refine N management strategies.

Report by Ben Smith & Sarah Noack, Trengove Consulting

Why do the trials?
Selecting and managing pastures effectively can be challenging, especially when trying to optimise production and livestock performance across different environments. 

This project aims to quantify the relative performance of different pulse options and identify management options for lentils to optimise their performance. Trials located at Koonoona.

This research was due to the continuing concerns about dry sowing in black soils and crop failures are often more commonly reported on the black-grey self-mulching soils compared to the red soils.

This project aims to improve grower decision-making in frost prone environments by increasing understanding of:

·         crop and varietal risk – selecting crop types with greater frost tolerant, and using varieties within crop types that offer diversity (e.g. maturity type) to reduce the likelihood of exposure to severe frost events

·         nitrogen and seeding rate management – improving understanding of the yield and financial risks associated with nitrogen applications and seeding rates in the red and amber frost zones

·         sowing frosted seed – a question commonly raised by growers is what impact does using frosted seed have on early crop growth and grain yield.