De-risking the sowing program on EP in 2025

Project summary: This project was delivered on Eyre Peninsula in 2025. It supported the SA Drought Hub’s priority themes of farm planning and decision-making to manage climate and operational risk, along with soil and land management strategies, technologies, and innovations.

A demonstration site was established in a low rainfall farming system at Poochera on a grey calcareous soil with three key objectives: to showcase practices that reduce herbicide toxicity and improve plant establishment in early sowing conditions; to evaluate whether dry sowing can increase seeding opportunities and establishment compared to waiting for the break on challenging soils; and to assess other potential benefits to the farming system such as increased biomass for livestock feed, improved weed control, and enhanced yield from early sowing.

 

Project description: This project built on successful project focused on improving the outcomes of dry and early sown crops in the EP low rainfall environments. It continued the work of the Future Drought Funded project which was delivered in 2024 - De-risking the seeding program: Adoption of key management practices for the success of dry early sown crops.

 

December 2025 project update: In 2025, the trial site at Poochera (Upper Eyre Peninsula) progressed well, comparing a range of herbicide strategies across two different times of sowing to help better understand interactions between early sowing decisions and crop establishment outcomes. The site was harvested on 10 December 2025, with yield and biomass results currently being analysed. Biomass cuts were collected at GS31 and again at flowering to strengthen understanding of crop responses throughout the season.

Although the trial site was not visited by farmers during the growing season, discussions at Low Rainfall RD&E Committee meetings suggest these types of demonstrations are valuable for grower decision-making around sowing program risk. The project outcomes were extended through further seasonal updates at the SARDI Farmer meetings in early 2026 and at the Minnipa Ag Centre Field Day in September 2026. An Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary article was produced and is available to read and download below.

Read the extension article below, written by SARDI team member Elijah Luo.

De-risking the seeding program 2025 – Grass Weeds, Dry Starts and Herbicide Choices