The SA Discovery Farms Future Drought Fund Long Term Trial project led by Flinders University and delivered by SARDI and 40+ partners
South Australia
Joined October 2024
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Does stubble height affect soil moisture retention? At the SA Discovery Farm at Minnipa, SARDI’s Amanda Cook is comparing stripper and draper cereal stubbles oversown with lentils. Results due after harvest.
@FlindersUniNews @SA_PIRSA #FutureDroughtFund
ALT SARDI Senior Research Scientist and Agronomy Team Leader Amanda Cook at the MAC Field Day 2026
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
The High Rainfall Zone lived up to its reputation as the Spring Field Day at Giles Corner was washed out by a much needed rainfall - all welcome to join us for
a do-over cropwalk.
trybooking.com/DQQCR
@SAGrainTrust
@theGRDC
@Ag_Excellence
Kaidy Morgan (Hart) and Dr Craig Liddicoat (Flinders Uni) shared insights from a trial of novel amendments and strategies to improve soil water retention and fertility at the 2026 @HartFieldDay.
🔎More info: hartfieldsite.org.au/pages/r…
@FlindersUniNews @SA_PIRSA #FutureDroughtFund
Great day out at the SARDI Minnipa Ag Centre Field Day where SARDI's Brendan Kupke and Cathy Paterson shared insights from trials looking at using barley phenology and architecture to improve drought resilience.
@SA_PIRSA @FlindersUniNews #FutureDroughtFund
SARDI's Alice Weaver and Stephanie Lokan were at the Minnipa Ag Centre Field day sharing the latest results from trials investigating the impact of water quality on livestock productivity and production (trials led by Alyce Lowe).
@SA_PIRSA @FlindersUniNews #FutureDroughtFund
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
Another @SADiscoveryFarm trial site event engaging local growers as part of the @MsfMallee Lameroo crop walk with @AgEngUniSA & @EldersLimited team discussing lentil crop safety with x8 pre-em herbicides under double disc, hybrid disc & tyne seeders. #DiscSeeder #PreEmergence
ALT Discussing seeder disturbance footprint data to date
ALT 6 trials over 2 years show that the surface soil disturbance footprint of hybrid disc seeders comes reliably close to that of tyne seeders.
ALT Reviewing pre-emergence herbicide impacts on lentil crop performance
ALT Left: Severe impact of Rhizoctonia bare patch in lentil crop at the onset of flowering; Right: Inspecting rhizo-affected lentil root systems.
Come along to the 2026 Minnipa Ag Centre Field Day featuring our research on:
🌾barley architecture and phenology for drought resilience
🐏improving water quality for livestock
💧soil moisture retention in different stubbles
and more!
#FutureDroughtFund @SA_PIRSA @FlindersUniNews
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
Good discussions at a lentil crop walk by @SADiscoveryFarm with attendees from the Elders National Broadacre Agronomy Forum. 3 trials underway this year by @AgEngUniSA & @EldersLimited continuing to investigate crop safety issues under pre-em herbicides. #DiscSeeder #PreEmergence
ALT Pillar hybrid disc seeder under review near Hamley Bridge, SA
ALT Presenting 2 years of seeder soil disturbance assessment data
ALT 6.7 t/ha wheat residue vs bare surface soil evaluation
ALT Pre-em herbicides combined with fertiliser toxicity created significant loss in plant number and early crop vigour
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
🌱COME AND WORK WITH US IN 2027
🎓 If you’re a recent grad (or about to be) and passionate about grains research that has a direct impact on farming profitability and sustainability, do we have the job for you!
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
More info here: tinyurl.com/HartRI27
Our network of long-term trials across SA is investigating innovative and transformational practices to help improve climate resilience.
Check out our fact sheet for more, including our 4 key innovation themes.
@FlindersUniNews @SA_PIRSA
#FutureDroughtFund #SADiscoveryFarms
As we’re well into our third year, we thought we'd take a moment to look back at our Year 2 achievements.
We now have 24 projects and in 2025 our researchers engaged with 2,021 people and collected a whopping 56,895 data points!
@Flinders @SA_PIRSA #FutureDroughtFund
Great to see @SADiscoveryFarm virtual fencing research getting coverage in the west.
#FutureDroughtFund @SA_PIRSA @FlindersUniNews
By giving farmers unprecedented control over grazing pressure, virtual fencing is shaping up as a powerful tool for dry‑season management and climate resilience.
Esperance farmer Simon Fowler and SARDI researcher Bianca Agenbag joined us on the #WADroughtHub Dry Season Resources podcast to unpack how the technology is helping producers maximise pasture utilisation, run virtual feedlots through feed gaps, and protect precious feed reserves when seasons turn tough.
🎧 Listen here, or on your favourite podcast app: player.captivate.fm/episode/…
#FutureDroughtFund @SA_PIRSA @ASHEEPBEEF
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
Exciting to have two March barley germinations at Minnipa and Wunkar as part of @SAGrainTrust @SADiscoveryFarm project looking at varietal biomass for early grazing, and opportunistic grain and graze. Winter types looking great, while springs rapidly approach stem elongation.
Virtual fencing is now available in SA. Hear Bianca Agenbag from SARDI discuss research using this AgTech device for drought resilience and long-term grazing management in livestock enterprises across SA.
@SA_PIRSA @FlindersUniNews #FutureDroughtFund
open.spotify.com/episode/0a9…
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
The @SADiscoveryFarm is continuing disc seeder trials this season with @AgEngUniSA& @EldersLimited evaluating a Pillar disc/blade seeder vs 2 baseline seeders under 8 pre-em herbicides. A trial at Lameroo was sown to lentils into good moisture last week. #DiscSeeder #PreEmergence
ALT 2026 Lameroo site sowing in this SA Discovery Farms Project
ALT Baseline tine seeder used in the trial
ALT Baseline double disc seeder used in the trial
Tune in to our latest ep to hear Dr Naser Pourazad from Flinders University discuss an innovative tourism experience designed to diversify economic opportunities in a drought affected Riverland community.
@SA_PIRSA @FlindersUniNews #FutureDroughtFund
open.spotify.com/episode/1gz…
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
Meet Dr Alice Weaver (SARDI), presenting Day 1 at #MerinoLink2026 on “Virtual fencing and pasture management”. Expect practical insight on emerging tech, grazing and future-focused merino production. Join us in Armidale, 26–27 Feb. Tickets on sale.
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
🌱 New Project Alert 🌱 AIR EP & SA Discovery Farms have partnered, with co-investment by SAGIT, to lead a new project focused on improving phosphorus (P) fert management across variable paddocks & P-responsive soils on EP👉 Visit the project page tr.ee/pRgEKX
today!
SA Discovery Farms retweeted
Testing the concept of moisture sensing at seeding for more reliable crop establishment in marginal conditions - Sandy swale-dune moisture changed from 2-8.5% at 50-75mm, can placing seeds (deeper) into constant moisture deliver green strips?
@SADiscoveryFarm
#AMRDC_UniSA
#MPT_ag
Tune into our latest podcast ep to hear Brendan Kupke share insights into how differences in phenology and architecture of barley varieties can be used to maximise returns in graze and grain systems. @SA_PIRSA @FlindersUniNews #FutureDroughtFund
open.spotify.com/episode/64X…
