This project is part of the GRDC Riskwi$e program.
The project was conducted at the MNHRZ research site at Farrell Flat. This site is a highly frost prone area of the Mid-North of SA. The project consisted of field trials on a site co-located with SARDI, Agrilink and CSIRO research. This provided a hub for activities and extension events.
The project included strategies to:
- avoid frost (sensitive stages outside of a frost risk period, alternative enterprises eg pastures for livestock, SHO safflower).
- increase the tolerance of crops by reducing the impact of ice nucleating bacteria using applied treatments and low seed bacteria levels.
- mitigating the impact of frost by using dual purpose cereals suitable for hay or late season grazing.
The financial and emotional exposure of individual farm business to frost damage varies depending on the relative percentage of high damage compared to low or no damage on each property, the financial status of each business and the success or otherwise of avoidance and mitigation strategies.
Strategies to reduce the financial impact depend on the relative exposure to high damage potential, classified as frost red zones compared to no damage potential, green zones and where frost is a variable feature, amber zones.
2024 was both a high frost damage year as well as a drought year. However, frost occurs at damaging levels almost irrespective of seasonal conditions in the Mid North region. Drought impacts because of the impact over all three frost zones whereas frost, by itself is confined to red and amber zones. For this reason, the impact of frost in drought years can have a large impact. Mitigation options are reduced in drought years because of low biomass production for hay production or grazing of frosted crop, as well as lower stubble quantities for summer and autumn grazing, and poorer recovery of grain potential after frost due to low soil water.
The project successfully investigated and extended avoidance, mitigation and tolerance strategies and highlighted where they were both appropriate, and less likely to succeed.
Further information:
The full technical report released in 2025 at project completion can be accessed here.