Drought Resilient Mixed Farming Trials update

25 July 2025

As part of year two of the Southern NSW Drought Resilient Mixed Farming Systems Long-term Field Trials, we've received updates from across the seven trial sites, thanks to our project partners.

The core site at Charles Sturt University’s Ashmont Farm in Wagga Wagga saw late sowing in May and June due to the lack of autumn rain. Lucerne and clover establishment has been poor, and re-sowing may be needed in August. Most sheep groups have now finished lambing, and extensive data has been collected on crop phenology, lamb weights, and ground cover.

Shawn McGrath, Senior Research Fellow, Gulbali Institute and Project Lead, commented that the dry start to the winter season definitely had an impact on most of the trial, but “Now we’re seeing reasonable crop emergence in most places, and lambing is almost complete at the sites looking at dual-purpose crops.”

“It’s interesting to see how the different seasonal conditions and the various treatments are shaping up across the region, which will give us interesting comparisons about the resilience to drought and seasonal variability of each of the different types of mixed farming systems in practice.”

He said, “A number of the sites will have field walks and open days coming up in the spring, which will be a great opportunity for farmers and advisers to see up close how the long-term field trials are progressing – keep an eye on the Hub and all the project partners’ social media channels for dates and times.”

Partner site updates 

At Holbrook Landcare Network’s (HLN) demonstration site, urea and gibberellic acid have been applied to pasture, and site setup continues with input from AgriWebb and Cibolabs. A training day for HLN members is scheduled for August.

At Riverine Plains, cropping rotations have taken priority over pastures due to the late season start. Fortunately, the crops have now emerged and are progressing well. A spring field day is planned in conjunction with another project. Riverine Plains is also supporting related long-term trials in Victoria and Tasmania, coordinating mixed farming treatments across multiple sites.

Southern Growers’ irrigated trial site at Finley is investigating crop performance by sowing time and a grazing management experiment. Early sowing benefited from pre-irrigation moisture, and crops are showing strong growth. A field walk is planned for the first week of August.

The Irrigation Farmers Network (IFN) has two sites – Kerang and Deniliquin – examining the legacy impact of legumes. While the Deni site faced some carry-over issues from 2024, crops are now established, though slightly behind. The Kerang site is progressing well, with successful establishment under sprinkler irrigation. A field day for IFN members is scheduled for August.

At Condobolin, Central West Farming Systems (CWFS) is monitoring lucerne’s response to variable seasonal conditions. Data collection for year two is well underway. The site received slow flood irrigation in May to enable sowing and has hosted school visits and student placements throughout autumn. Kangaroos have proven persistent pests, despite fencing. CWFS’s annual field day is set for September.

Finally, FarmLink Research’s Temora site is running a grazing trial comparing four mechanical grazing treatments. Like other sites, it faced challenges from the dry season start but has since achieved establishment. Data is now being collected on soil moisture and more. FarmLink’s open day in September will offer farmers the chance to visit the trial site.