Growing lentils on challenging soils on Eyre Peninsula
A new 3-year project has been funded by GRDC to explore growing lentils on ‘challenging’ soils across EP. The project, led by AIR EP will fund 4 trials per year, which will be delivered by the EPAG Research team. The four sites on EP in 2025 are located at Rudall, Wangary, Poochera and Lock. Two trials have also been sown to cereal at Wirrulla and Lock in preparation to be be sown with on-row/off-row treatments in 2026.
Rudall: Landscape trial – plots are 130m long – stretching from heavy sodic flat up to sandhill (3 replicates), with patches of limestone. Treatments include sowing rates, depths and nutrition types and rates.
Wangary: (pictured) Ameliorated (delved) acidic soil that has been limed 3 years ago. High rainfall area, not traditionally lentil growing area. Treatments include inoculants, sowing depths and nutrition.
Poochera and Lock: Located on highly calcareous sandy loam soils. The Lock site receives more rainfall and has higher yield potential. Treatments include nutrition types and rates, sowing rates and depths, and inoculants.
Blog: Lentil 'On Row Sowing" - Learnings from the YP. Ben Wundersitz
Project name: NGN Establishing and growing lentils on challenging soil types on the Eyre Peninsula
Project code: AIP2504-001SAX
Above: Lentil trial near Wangary on 30 June 2025, sown ‘dryish’, with emergence on 10 June.
Above: Jake Giles, EPAG Research, presenting the Wangary trial site at the AIR EP Lower EP Crop Walk on 9 September 2025.
Above: Jake Giles, EPAG Research presenting the Rudall lentil trial site on the Rudall/Tuckey Crop Walk, 2 October 2025.
Downloads:
Share this project:
You Might Also Like
Improving phosphorus use efficiency and return on investment in high Phosphorus (P) fixing soils of the Southern and Western Regions
Aims to improve growers’ certainty about managing phosphorus (P) in high-fixing soils, which have chemical properties that bind applied P, making it unavailable to crops. The project outcome is that…
Learn MoreStress Testing Regenerative Agricultural Practices – STRAP
Drought resilience in novel emerging dryland farming practices – A scientific and economic basis (Stress Testing Regenerative Agricultural Practices – STRAP) The project aims to rigorously study regenerative cropping and…
Learn MoreInnovative Soil Technologies: Fostering Resilience and Climate-Smart Crop Production in Australia
This project will apply recent advances in Innovative Soil Technologies (IST) to improve water capture and retention and water use efficiency. Through field trials conducted in SA, NSW, TAS, WA,…
Learn MoreDrought and climate resilient sheep farms and landscapes tailor-made for low rainfall farming regions
Sheep production underpins farming and rural communities in the low rainfall regions (200 to 400 mm) of southern Australia. With the profitability of sheep farmingdeclining rapidly due to the detrimental…
Learn MoreClimate-Ready Livestock: Building Resilient Farming Systems on Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula livestock producers are facing rapidly emerging challenges from climate change, including prolonged dry periods, declining water security, rising input costs, and increasing market pressures. This project will support…
Learn MoreWeed Management Initiative
Delivery of one herbicide trial on EP for 2025-2029 (5 trial years) On an annual basis, establish, conduct, analyse and report on field trials as agreed with the Lead Researcher…
Learn MoreFuture Drought Fund Long Term Trials SA Discovery Farms – Sustainable phosphorous strategies for Eyre Peninsula
AIR EP has partnered with SA Discovery Farms, with co-investment by SAGIT, in a new project aimed at improving P fertiliser applications in variable paddocks/landscapes and refining long-term management strategies…
Learn MoreYoung Farmer Peer to Peer Learning Lower EP 2025
AIR EP will establish a group comprised of Lower Eyre Peninsula young farmers (~18-35 years). This group will participate in three field events/workshops featuring speakers on topics that build agricultural,…
Learn MoreBuilding resilience – Break Crop Suitability Across Landscapes (Stage 2)
Upper North Farming Systems and AIR EP have worked to bring this common theme across the 3 farming groups and 4 Node regions together into the one project in 2024.…
Learn MoreRisky decisions and addressing soil constraints on EP
This project has two key objectives that address the priorities of the SA Drought Hub 1. Arming farmers and advisors with tools to assist in decision making that considers risk…
Learn More