Improved Drought Resilience
Improved drought resilience through optimal management of soils and available water
Project Funder: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Future Drought Fund
Project Lead: Riverine Plains, Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
Project Duration: 2022-2024
Project Location: Southern NSW
Background
The project demonstrates practices from 3 farming system strategies that improve drought resilience. These non-conventional strategies include:
Diverse legume rotations (to increase organic carbon, nitrogen and other soil elements)
Early-sowing of slower-maturing crops (to increase water holding capacity) and
Measuring residual nitrogen (to prevent excess application, increasing profitability & decreasing runoff into waterways)
The project involves 12 demonstration sites with a broad range of soil types, environments and land uses across Southern NSW & North Eastern VIC. The sites span approximately 18 million hectares in NSW and VIC. Each demonstration site will hold 1 field day/year to showcase the demonstrated practices, reaching a network of around 3300 farmers.
Outcomes will be communicated using 12 case studies and a range of communication channels. These are expected to reach over 10,000 community and agribusiness professionals. The project will also share outcomes with Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs, universities, State and Federal governments, and other key influencers such as the NFF, RDCs, rural consultants and rural resellers.
The project is a collaboration between industry and research organisations, including GRDC, CSIRO, NSW DPI, Riverine Plains, FarmLink, Central West Farming Systems, Southern Growers & Charles Sturt University. It is also supported by the Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub.
See the related GRDC CSIRO NSWDPI Improving Farming Systems project
