Resilient pasture systems

Creating landscape-scale change through the promotion of resilient pasture systems

Project Funder: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Future Drought Fund
Project Lead: Holbrook Landcare Network, Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
Project Duration: 2022-2024
Project Location: Southern NSW, Temora Agricultural Innovation Centre

Background

The project will demonstrate modern pasture species combinations and management practices known to build drought resilience. These practices can potentially protect soils and support productivity during and following droughts across 82 percent of NSW land area.

The project involves up to 10 demonstration sites and 5 farmer reference groups across the mid to high-rainfall zones of central and southern NSW. Outcomes of the demonstrations will be upscaled to farm and landscape scales using advanced modelling, ensuring regional applicability.

Knowledge brokers will translate information to local audiences and support social learning between farmers. A series of workshops, publications, case studies and on-farm consultations with farmers will be also used.

The project is a partnership that includes Charles Sturt University, the Holbrook Landcare Group, Central West Farming Systems Inc., Riverine Plains Inc, Farmlink Research Ltd., Monaro Farming Systems CMC Inc. and the NSW DPI and Local Land Services. The project is supported by the Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub.

See the 2022 trial