Since 2017, the GRDC research project Farming systems profit and risk over time has shown that early sowing of slower maturing crops, diverse legume rotations and nitrogen (N) banking can all increase profitability and productivity by increasing soil moisture availability and preventing carbon and nutrient loss under drought conditions. Proving these practices are profitable and deliver co-benefits on a paddock scale is key to grower adoption.
Southern NSW Innovation Hub worked with CSIRO and NSW DPI to convert the GRDC research findings into adoptable outcomes and provide another adoption pathway. Four Farming Systems Groups then delivered the project.
Led by Riverine Plains, in collaboration with Southern Growers, Farmlink Research and Central West Farming Systems, the project deployed three strategies previously validated in small-plot trial across 12 paddock-scale demonstration sites through southern NSW across the 2022 – 2024 cropping seasons:
- Diverse legume rotations to increase soil organic carbon, carbon, nitrogen and soil water holding capacity
- Early-sowing of slower-maturing crops to increase water holding capacity
- Measuring residual nitrogen (N-banking) to prevent excess application, increasing profitability and decreasing runoff into waterways.
Throughout the project, there was strong farmer engagement across communication and extension activities and a key output was 11 case studies that will be used to support the adoption of these strategies more broadly.
GRDC called the partnership between Southern NSW Hub and the Farming Systems Groups on this project "a perfect conduit to push out further development and extension off the central trial work" and provided grower involvement and buy-in on the research.
Project lead
Riverine Plains
Farming Systems Group partners
Central West Farming Systems, FarmLink Research and Southern Growers
Project partners
GRDC, CSIRO and NSW DPI
Project funding
The Future Drought Fund's Drought Resilient Soils and Landscapes Program
