Improving the climate resilience of the Australian sheep industry

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Lead organisation: University of Adelaide

Hub members and partners involved: SARDI, BIGG, MFMG, MPF, Elders, AIREP, MSF, UNFS, NY Landscape Board

Node: Loxton, Minnipa, Orroroo, Roseworthy, Struan

Focus area: Livestock and fodder management

Project Category: Hub Projects | Innovation Activities

Project summary:

Improving the climate resilience of Australian sheep farming requires more than better genetics or improved pastures alone. It requires farming systems that combine resilient sheep, productive feedbases and healthier landscapes to better withstand drought, heat and seasonal variability.

The SA Drought Hub has supported climate-resilient sheep research through two complementary projects. The initial Hub-funded project focused on demonstrating practical management strategies to improve sheep productivity during periods of heat and nutritional stress across commercial farms throughout South Australia. Building on this work, the Hub subsequently supported the establishment of the South Australian component of the national Future Drought Fund Drought and Climate Resilient Sheep Farming Systems Long Term Trial by developing the Roseworthy demonstration site and identifying regional validation sites.

The national Long Term Trial, led by Adelaide University and Murdoch University, is investigating how climate-resilient sheep genetics, drought-tolerant forage systems and landscape design can improve productivity, profitability and resilience across low rainfall farming systems. The SA Drought Hub’s investment has supported the establishment of the South Australian demonstration and extension components that contribute to this broader national program.

Project description:

The initial SA Drought Hub project demonstrated practical, readily adoptable strategies to improve sheep productivity during periods of heat and nutritional stress. Working with farming systems groups across South Australia, the project evaluated interventions including melatonin (Regulin®), Vitamin ADE supplementation, betaine supplementation and shade management across commercial producer sites and research farms, while supporting extension activities to encourage adoption by sheep producers.

Building on this work, the SA Drought Hub subsequently supported the establishment of the South Australian component of the Future Drought Fund’s national Drought and Climate Resilient Sheep Farming Systems Long Term Trial. Rather than funding the national trial itself, the Hub’s investment focused on establishing the Roseworthy demonstration site, identifying regional validation sites and supporting early extension and producer engagement activities across South Australia.

The broader Long Term Trial is investigating integrated farming systems that combine climate-resilient sheep genetics, drought-tolerant multi-species forage systems and landscape design to improve feed security, sheep welfare, biodiversity and long-term farm resilience. South Australian activities include the Roseworthy investigation site and regional validation sites established in partnership with producers to ensure systems are practical and suited to local farming conditions.

Key achievements and results:

The SA Drought Hub has supported climate-resilient sheep research through two complementary projects. The initial Hub-funded project successfully demonstrated practical management strategies to improve sheep productivity during periods of heat and nutritional stress, while the subsequent project established the South Australian demonstration and extension component of the national Drought and Climate Resilient Sheep Farming Systems Long Term Trial.

The original project generated additional evidence demonstrating the benefits of melatonin, Vitamin ADE, betaine supplementation and shade management under commercial farming conditions. Demonstrations were delivered across more than 20 producer sites throughout South Australia, supported by research at Roseworthy and Turretfield, helping provide growers with greater confidence to adopt practical strategies that improve thermoregulation, fertility, lamb survival and flock productivity during periods of drought and extreme heat.

The SA Drought Hub’s later investment successfully established the South Australian component of the Drought and Climate Resilient Sheep Farming Systems Long Term Trial. This included developing the Roseworthy investigation site and selecting regional validation sites across South Australia, enabling the transition from project planning to on-ground implementation with research infrastructure, monitoring systems and demonstration sites established to support long-term evaluation of climate-resilient sheep farming systems.

Since transitioning into the national project, the Roseworthy investigation site and regional validation sites at Lameroo, Caltowie and Kyancutta have begun evaluating integrated approaches to improving drought resilience. Site-specific forage systems were co-designed with producers to reflect local farming systems and objectives, incorporating drought-tolerant pasture species, shrubs and trees to improve feed availability, provide shade and shelter, increase biodiversity and strengthen landscape resilience. Soil health monitoring, natural capital assessments and baseline sheep measurements also commenced, providing the foundation for long-term evaluation throughout the five-year trial.

Key achievements from the SA Drought Hub’s contribution include:

Establishment of the 100-hectare Roseworthy investigation site comprising replicated paddocks comparing different forage, shrub and tree systems alongside climate-resilient sheep genetics.
Successful establishment of South Australian regional validation sites at Lameroo, Caltowie and Kyancutta, with producers co-designing pasture systems suited to local farming enterprises.
Development of multi-species forage systems designed to improve feed security during drought, provide shade and shelter, increase biodiversity and strengthen landscape resilience.
Installation of monitoring systems to assess soil health, pasture performance, sheep behaviour, heat tolerance and productivity throughout the Long Term Trial.
Strong collaboration between researchers, farming systems groups, producers and First Nations partners to co-design practical climate-resilient farming systems.

The SA Drought Hub component of the project has now been successfully completed, delivering the demonstration sites, research infrastructure and producer partnerships required to support the national Long Term Trial. South Australian producers will continue contributing to the broader Future Drought Fund research program as longer-term findings emerge on climate-resilient sheep genetics, drought-tolerant forage systems and whole-farm management practices.

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