Since 2022, the SA Drought Hub has supported a growing portfolio of collaborative projects focused on improving the success of dry and early sown crops across South Australia. Recognising that sowing decisions are critical, and increasingly complex in a changing climate, these projects combine research, on-farm demonstrations and extension activities to build grower confidence in crop establishment under challenging seasonal conditions.

Across multiple regions, projects have investigated topics including fertiliser placement, seeding systems, sowing timing and speed, herbicide performance, crop nutrition, variety selection and machinery setup. As new projects continue to build on previous findings, this long-term body of work is providing growers with practical, locally relevant information that supports more confident seeding decisions and improves drought resilience across South Australian farming systems.

Project description: 

Projects supported by the SA Drought Hub 

From 2022 onwards, the SA Drought Hub has funded and co-funded a range of innovative projects to help growers manage risk and improve crop establishment under challenging conditions. These projects and programs of work include:

• Cropping without glyphosate
• Best practice for early sowing opportunities
• Improving canola establishment in dry conditions
• Pre-emergent herbicide decision making for dry sown crops
• Crop establishment under dry and marginal soil moisture (SAGIT co-funded)
• Optimising cereal establishment and herbicide safety under dry conditions

Adoption of key management practices for the success of dry and early sown crops, led by Ag Excellence Alliance

A key project across South Australian was the Ag Excellence Alliance led the Adoption of key management practices for the success of dry and early sown crops. Delivered between 2023 and 2025, this project was led by Rachel May, Farming Systems Specialist- Adoption Officer at Ag Ex & the SA Drought Hub, bringing together 15 farming systems groups across four states provide practical, region-specific research and extension to growers navigating the challenges of dry and early sowing.

The project focused on reducing uncertainty around seeding decisions by addressing key management practices, risk assessment, and effective crop establishment under increasingly variable conditions. Through local trials, extension activities, and collaborative engagement, it delivered high-value insights to growers at a critical time, with key themes of seeding depth, pre-emergent crop safety and efficacy, long coleoptile wheat varieties, canola establishment, comparison of seeding systems, spring vs winter barley varieties, lupin establishment and soil wetters, managing stubble cove using draper stripper fronts, fertiliser placement, sowing speed, time of sowing and pre-irrigation vs dry seeding. You can read more about the project here. As of May 2025, this project has delivered 47 events from field days, crop walks, open days and research updates with 1026 farmers and 371 consultants attending, 15 knowledge exchange events to 94 farmers and 30 consultants and 41 extension-based materials produced (with a reach of 16,879+ people).

Ongoing Investment via the SA Drought Hub

Due to the ongoing dry conditions and strong grower demand, the SA Drought Hub has committed to supporting the continuation of this work beyond the original project timeline. With the past few seasons bringing significant seeding challenges across much of South Australia, the value of regionally tailored, timely support has become increasingly important. The project’s strong connection with local farming systems groups has ensured that activities are grounded in local priorities, with growers actively shaping the direction and delivery of the work. By extending funding into two more seasons – 2025 and 2026 – the SA Drought Hub is enabling this vital, grower-informed work to continue, ensuring farmers have the practical tools and insights they need to de-risk their seeding programs and adapt with confidence.

Projects delivered during 2025/26 included:

• AIR EP- De-risking the seeding program on the Eyre Peninsula
• UNFS- De-risking the seeding program in the Upper North
• MSF- Demonstration of key management practices for the success of dry and early sown crops
• HART- Understanding impacts of seeding conditions and sowing speed on pre-emergent herbicides for resilient farms
• NSS- Improving the management of dry or early sown crops
• MPF- Adoption of key management practices for the success of dry and early sown lentil crop

Current projects underway in 2026/27, building on previous work or exploring new areas of crop establishment research, include:

• • AIR EP- De-risking the seeding program on the Eyre Peninsula
  • UNFS- De-risking the seeding program in the Upper North
  • MNHRZ – Herbicide and seeding depth interactions in lentils in the mid north high rainfall zone
  • MFMG – Improving crop establishment in the upper Limestone Coast
  • HART – Evaluating pre-emergent herbicide safety and efficacy under different sowing conditions on a clay loam soil in the Mid North
  • NSS – Improving the Management of Dry or Early Sown Crops on the Upper Yorke Peninsula
  • MSF – Improving crop establishment across landscapes in South Australian Mallee
  • MPF – Improving lentil establishment through effective weed control on the Murray Plains