Bumper crops bring big decisions after Lower EP Crop Walk

Bumper crops following a solid rainfall season brought a crowd to AIR EP’s 2026 Lower Eyre Peninsula crop walk this month – with farmers facing some big decisions ahead of what they hope will be a big harvest.

Over 75 farmers, advisors, researchers, industry representatives and sponsors came together for the event on 8 September across sites at Edillilie and Cummins.

It was an opportunity to share current research updates and test them against the practical realities of farming on the Lower EP.
AIR EP Executive Officer Naomi Scholz said the event sparked conversations about what had worked so far this season, what was still needed to convert bumper crops into solid yields at harvest time, and what could be carried into future seasons.

“While this year’s rainfall has delivered strong crop growth, farmers are very aware that there can still be challenges ahead in the lead up to harvest,” Ms Scholz said.

“They’re eager to understand not only what research approaches have worked this year, but how they might be applied on-farm next year and beyond.

“There was also plenty of discussion around cost, reliability, and how the decisions they make in coming months might affect their crop rotations for future seasons.”

The event looked at topics from nitrogen and lime, to lentils, and fungicide and herbicide use.

At the GRDC Farming Systems Trial, four years of testing different phased rotations is showing that while the district practice of canola wheat rotation remains profitable, and other rotations requiring less inputs are also performing strongly, meaning that there are options for diversity in lower EP farming systems.

The Natural Heritage Trust funded Innovative Soil Technologies liming site at Edillilie demonstrated positive changes in lentil growth where various applications of lime had been used to address soil acidity.

Throughout the event, discussion touched on lentils grown on ripped soil, herbicide resistant lentil varieties, disease management in a wet season, Blackleg management in canola, and weed management generally following restrictions to paraquat use in Australia.

“The Lower EP Crop Walk is not only an opportunity for farmers and industry representatives to see how well a season is performing, but also to ask questions, share success stories and challenges, and pass on knowledge that can strengthen our approach to planning for future successful season and to address challenges that are facing our industry on a broader scale,” Ms Scholz said.

• As farmers head into the lead up to harvest, and on to planning for the 2027 season, key takeaways from the Lower EP Crop Walk were:
  Use harvest as a fact-finding exercise: Note different crop performance across soil types, pH zones, ripping treatments, nutrition strategies. Use these to guide 2027 paddock plans.
• Review nitrogen with the whole rotation in mind: Think beyond the current crop to nitrogen removal, mineralisation, carryover, and where the best return on applied nitrogen is likely to occur.
• Know what’s happening below the surface: Use targeted testing and ground-truthing to more accurately diagnose soil acidity and subsoil constraints.
• Plan resistance management early: Build fungicide and herbicide stewardship into crop and chemical programs early before the pressure is on.
• Start reviewing knockdown options now: Give summer spraying and 2027 weed-management programs your attention now, before changes to paraquat come into effect.

Find out more about AIR EP’s events, or join as a member, here: www.airep.com.au.