Improving crop establishment in the upper Limestone Coast

Project Lead: MacKillop Farm Management Group

Project duration: May 2026 - May 2027

Project Managers: Nathaniel Modra, Brivon, and agronomy advice, Elders.

 

Background

​​As the timing and reliability of the seasonal break and stored soil moisture at seeding becomes less reliable, farmers are required to adapt establishment strategies on a year-by-year basis. Building on the outcomes of previous work, this project will consolidate existing research and regional experience to strengthen farmer understanding of the key factors influencing successful crop establishment in dry and uncertain seasons.

 

Project Objectives

This project will address knowledge and adoption gaps in crop establishment and seeding decision-making under increasingly variable seasonal conditions across South Australian cropping regions. 

The project will have a strong extension focus, translating current research findings into practical, regionally relevant decision-making tools that support confident and timely seeding decisions. By improving farmer capacity to manage establishment risk and respond to seasonal variability, the project will contribute to increased drought resilience and more consistent cropping system performance across South Australia. 

 

Project Activities

• Establishment of two farmer hosted demonstration sites in the upper Limestone Coast of South Australia (Keith/Kongal and Western Flat / Mundulla) 

• Demonstrations will focus on canola, examining: 

  • Time of sowing under delayed or unreliable seasonal breaks 

  • Fertiliser strategies (Nitrogen) at sowing under variable soil moisture conditions 

• Monitoring of crop emergence, establishment, early growth and yield to compare practical outcomes 

Established and new research findings will be shared with farmers through:

• a facilitated crop walk in Spring 2026 at one demonstration site
• a podcast recording capturing project learnings and grower experience
• a case study for each demonstration site
• integration into existing state and national crop establishment research.

 

These activities will inform relevant and practical decision-making tools for farmers to support confident and timely seeding decisions.

 

This project is funded by:

This program received funding from the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund through the South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SA Drought Hub).

 

Project Resources