Dry seeding offers growers greater flexibility to capitalise on early rainfall opportunities, but uncertainty around herbicide safety can limit confidence when sowing lentils into dry soil. This project is investigating how different herbicide strategies interact with seeding timing and lentil varieties to improve crop establishment and support more confident dry sowing decisions in the Mid North High Rainfall Zone.

Project description: 

As seasonal breaks become later and less reliable, growers are increasingly looking to dry sow lentils to maximise growing season length while managing seasonal risk. However, uncertainty around the safety of pre-emergent herbicides under dry sowing conditions remains a significant barrier to adoption.

This project will investigate how herbicide choice, timing of sowing and lentil variety influence crop establishment when lentils are dry sown. Demonstration trials will compare herbicides applied to dry soil before rainfall with applications made after opening rainfall, enabling growers to better understand crop safety under contrasting establishment conditions.

The project has a strong extension focus, translating current research findings into practical, regionally relevant management strategies that improve confidence when making seeding decisions. By strengthening grower understanding of crop establishment risks under dry seasonal starts, the project will contribute to improved drought resilience across South Australian cropping systems.

Key achievements and results: 

This project commenced in 2026 and trial sites have been established, with lentils sown and pre-emergent herbicide treatments applied. Crop emergence has been successful, with post-emergent assessments and ongoing monitoring underway as the trial progresses.

The project will investigate how herbicide timing and lentil variety influence crop establishment under dry sowing conditions, providing practical information to help growers reduce establishment risk while maintaining effective weed control.

Current project activities include:

• Established a replicated field trial comparing herbicide application to dry and wet soils under different sowing timings.
• Comparing two lentil varieties to assess how varietal characteristics influence tolerance to herbicide strategies under dry sowing conditions.
• Monitoring crop establishment and herbicide safety throughout the growing season.
• Working closely with growers and advisers to address locally identified knowledge gaps around dry seeding lentils.
• Results will be shared through MNHRZ winter and spring crop walks and the Autumn Update to support grower adoption of practical dry sowing strategies.