Managing break crops across the landscape can be a balancing act. While break crops offer significant benefits such as nitrogen fixation, weed and disease management, and improved rotation diversity, their success is highly dependent on seasonal conditions, soil type and landscape variability.
Since 2023, this program of work led by Upper North Farming Systems (UNFS) has investigated a range of break crop strategies across South Australian farming systems, including intercropping, early sowing and break crop suitability across variable landscapes. Through collaboration between UNFS, AIR EP, Murray Plains Farmers, SARDI (Waite, Clare, and Minnipa) and Pinion Advisory, the project has generated practical information to help growers better understand where different break crop options are best suited, their profitability, and how they contribute to more resilient farming systems.
This project page brings together the outcomes of three SA Drought Hub funded projects encompassing a program of work targeting break crop suitability, delivered between 2023 and 2026; investigating break crop suitability, intercropping systems and landscape-specific management strategies across South Australia.
Project description:
2023 Project – Intercropping in break crops in the Upper North
The 2023 project investigated intercropping systems and early-sown break crops in the Upper North to improve crop decision-making, profitability and soil function. Demonstrations at Booleroo Centre evaluated canola and vetch intercropping within a wheat rotation, while additional demonstrations at Warnertown investigated early sowing opportunities for lentils and faba beans under variable seasonal conditions.
The project assessed crop establishment, biomass production, feed quality, grain yield, grain quality, soil function and economic performance to improve understanding of the opportunities and trade-offs associated with different break crop systems. Findings provided growers with practical information to support more informed break crop selection and management.
2024 project – Building resilience: Break Crop Suitability Across Landscapes
Building on previous work, the project expanded across the Upper North, Murray Plains and Eyre Peninsula to investigate break crop suitability across different soil types, rainfall zones and farming systems. Demonstration sites evaluated lentils, canola, vetch, faba beans and intercropping systems under commercial farming conditions, while monitoring crop establishment, soil fertility, crop growth, yield, grain quality and economic performance.
Project findings were shared through grower events, extension activities and communication materials. Economic analyses completed by Pinion Advisory provided additional insight into profitability, end-use opportunities and the longer-term benefits of break crops within farming systems, helping growers better match break crop species to local soils and seasonal conditions.
2025 project – Building resilience: Break Crop Suitability Across Landscapes (Stage 2)
The final stage of the project continued demonstrations across the Upper North and Eyre Peninsula, further investigating break crop suitability across variable landscapes. Activities focused on crop establishment, soil fertility, crop growth, yield, profitability, nutrient cycling and the longer-term contribution of break crops to resilient farming systems.
Regional case studies, technical resources and economic analyses were produced to support grower decision-making, while extension activities helped share practical findings across South Australia’s low and medium rainfall regions. Together, the demonstrations reinforced the importance of matching break crop choice and management to local soil constraints, seasonal conditions and farming system objectives.
Key achievements and results:
Project Update – 2023 and 2024:
Across the first two years of the project, demonstrations highlighted how break crop performance can vary significantly across landscapes, soil types and seasonal conditions. Intercropping, early-sown break crops and paddock-scale demonstrations across the Upper North, Murray Plains and Eyre Peninsula improved understanding of where different break crop species are best suited and the factors that influence their productivity and profitability.
Demonstrations reinforced that local conditions play a critical role in break crop success. While dry seasonal conditions reduced lentil biomass and grain yield at the Punthari demonstration, the contrasting soil types and landscape positions provided valuable insights into crop performance across sandy rises, mid-slopes and heavier clay flats. Across all regions, soil testing, crop monitoring and harvest data contributed to a growing evidence base to support more informed break crop decisions.
The project also strengthened collaboration between farming groups, SARDI and Pinion Advisory, with project findings shared through crop walks and extension activities, including the Jamestown AgXtra Crop Walk and Murray Plains Spring Crop Walk. Economic data collection and the development of video resources laid the foundation for further analysis and extension in the following stage of the project.
Project update – 2025 and 2026
The 2025 season focused on paddock-scale demonstrations across the Upper North and Eyre Peninsula, investigating break crop suitability across variable landscapes. Agronomic data collected throughout the season, combined with economic analysis completed in 2026, has provided growers with practical guidance on selecting break crops best suited to different soil types, seasonal conditions and farming system objectives.
Project findings reinforced that there is no one-size-fits-all break crop. Instead, successful adoption depends on matching crop choice and management to local conditions. Lentils showed strong potential in suitable environments, while faba beans provided more reliable grain production in some waterlogged and acidic soils. At Minnipa, vetch produced greater biomass than field peas across soil types, highlighting its potential to improve ground cover and reduce erosion risk under the season’s dry conditions.
The project also delivered detailed economic analysis comparing grain and hay production across multiple sites. The analysis highlighted how nutrient removal, nitrogen carryover and seasonal conditions can influence the long-term profitability of break crop decisions, providing growers with practical information to support future rotation planning.
With the project now complete, the findings have been brought together through the Technical Report, Economic Analysis Report and regional grower case studies. These resources provide growers and advisers with practical information to assess break crop suitability, profitability and management across variable landscapes.
Further information:
There have been an array of resources developed throughout this project:
- Access the project technical report here
- Explore how lentils performed across variable soil types and what the findings could mean for your farming system
- Watch the Lock break crop demonstration site video produced by AIR EP
- Watch the Ungarra break crop demonstration site video produced by AIR EP
- See how break crop choices stacked up economically across different farming systems and landscapes
- Read this fact sheet on demonstrating vetch mix options to reduce soil erosion whilst maintaining good nitrogen fixation
Project Images
