Dry and early sowing of cereal crops is a practice commonly employed across southern Australian cropping regions to combat the increasingly erratic and delayed opening season rainfall. Whilst there has been a large amount of research and development undertaken on dry and early sowing, significant opportunities remain to engage growers in the adoption of strategic management approaches that best suit local grower needs, management preferences, and local climatic and environmental conditions.

This project built on previous work delivered through the FDF funded De-risking the Seeding Program project, to investigate practical strategies for improving the management of dry and early sown crops. Through a series of demonstration trials and extension activities, the project generated locally relevant information and technical resources to support growers and advisers in making more informed decisions around fertiliser placement, herbicide management and seeding system design.

Project description: 

This project built on the Future Drought Fund funded De-risking the Seeding Program by delivering demonstration trials and extension activities focused on improving the management of dry and early sown crops across the Northern Yorke Peninsula and Mid North.

Four demonstration activities were delivered to investigate fertiliser toxicity under dry sowing conditions, herbicide residue carryover following the dry 2024 season, and the influence of seeding system design and sowing practices on crop establishment and herbicide crop safety. While the original project scope included three demonstration activities, an additional herbicide residue demonstration was established at the Hart Field Site to respond to seasonal conditions and provide further locally relevant information for growers and advisers.

Project findings were extended through crop walks, adviser engagement and technical reports, providing practical guidance to support grower decision-making. Individual demonstration reports were produced for each activity and included in the 2025 Northern Sustainable Soils Trial Results Booklet, ensuring the project’s findings continue to support growers and advisers beyond the life of the project.

Key achievements and results: 

Project update – 2025

In 2025, this project progressed well, with three replicated small plot demonstration sites established, managed and harvested. These demonstrations investigated practical strategies for reducing risk in dry or early sown systems, including fertiliser type/placement/rate under dry seeding conditions, the ability of different seeding opener types to separate herbicide-treated soil from seed in barley, and the legacy impacts of residual herbicides on lentils. Two site-based events were held to visit demonstration areas and extend learnings directly to growers.

The project generated strong interest from growers and advisers, particularly work delivered at the Hart Field Site Group assessing the legacy impacts of herbicide residues on lentils, which was extended to multiple groups including independent agronomists and Hart members. Feedback highlighted the value of the session’s interactive approach and the opportunity to view plots up-close and discuss key takeaways in the paddock.

A key learning from the season was that not all sites showed visible treatment differences during the growing period, and as a result, two trials were not visited in-season to ensure growers’ time was used effectively. However, learnings from these sites were still extended in 2026.

Project update – 2026

Four demonstration activities were delivered across the Northern Yorke Peninsula and Mid North regions to improve the management of dry and early sown crops. While the original project scope included three demonstrations, an additional two herbicide residue demonstrations were established at the Hart Field Site following the dry 2024 season. Together, the demonstrations addressed key establishment risks associated with fertiliser toxicity, herbicide residue carryover, pre-emergent herbicide use and seeding system design, providing locally relevant information to support grower and adviser decision-making.

Key findings from the project included:

• Applying DAP at seeding was shown to be a safe and effective strategy under the trial conditions, while separating urea from the seed reduced the risk of establishment losses under marginal moisture conditions.
• The herbicide residue demonstrations reinforced the importance of following plant-back requirements, particularly after low rainfall seasons where herbicide breakdown may be delayed.
• Seeding system design influenced barley tolerance to some pre-emergent herbicides, while sowing speed had little effect under the conditions experienced.
• The project generated practical, locally relevant information to help growers manage establishment risks and improve confidence when implementing dry and early sowing systems.

Read the full technical report and supporting demonstration reports below for detailed trial results.

Project findings were shared with growers, advisers and industry through the Hart Winter Crop Walk, the Northern Sustainable Soils Winter Crop Walk and adviser visits to demonstration sites. The herbicide residue demonstrations generated particularly strong interest and positive feedback, highlighting the value of locally generated evidence to support decisions following dry seasons. Individual technical reports for each demonstration will continue to support extension activities through the Northern Sustainable Soils network.

Further information:

The below reports have been developed following the project:

• Improving the Management of Dry or Early Sown Crops – Project Technical Report
• A look at the effect of herbicide residues on conventional and imi tolerant lentil production at Hart in 2025 – utilising the 2024 herbicide tolerance demo
• The impact of grass control pre-emergent herbicides on lentil in the following season
• The influence of fertiliser type, placement and rate on crop establishment and vigour in 2025

To keep updated with trials across the Yorke Peninsula and Mid North, please visit the Northern Sustainable Soils Facebook page.

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