This project has been funded to help Mallee farmers tackle wind erosion with practical ways of improving and maintaining groundcover on erosion-prone soils.
There are two main themes in the project:
1. Promoting cropping practices that improve crop performance and leave more ground cover
2. Promoting forage shrubs and livestock containment designs to broaden the livestock feedbase and protect groundcover on vulnerable soils.
MSF with the support of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is on a mission to close the knowledge gap around feed and nutrition in low rainfall zones.
Trials at Walpeup (VIC Mallee) and Parrakie (SA Mallee) are putting a range of ripping tines, accessories and delving tines to the test on compacted deep sands. By quantifying draft force and soil loosening, researchers can calculate the efficiency of ripping tines and other soil amelioration tools. Roughly, the more soil loosened for every unit of draft force, the more efficient the equipment is.
ABOUT the project The cropping region in Southwestern NSW has evolved dramatically since the early 2000’s and over the past decade, there has been a further refinement in paddock rotations with the adoption of more diverse rotations. Legume crops such as lentils, chickpea, field pea and vetch have become an important component of regional crop
Legumes on Sands Improving the production of legume crops on sandy soils to improve ground cover and reduce erosion risk ABOUT the project The Murraylands and Riverland Landscapes Board, Mallee Sustainable Farming and Mallee farmers have identified that legume crops grown on sandy soils in the SA region are providing sub-optimal levels yield and vegetative
Barley grass Management in a mixed farming system Demonstrating and validating the implementation of integrated weed management strategies to control barley grass in low rainfall farming systems. ABOUT the project Over the last few years there have been increases in barley grass infestations in cereal crops in southern Australia. Pinpointing why these weeds are becoming
This project has delivered a state-of-the-art network of 30 weather stations, to the Riverland and Mallee, designed to observe localised meteorological phenomena. The Mesonet network delivers a weather monitoring and warning system to provide highly accurate and targeted data on the development and presence of adverse conditions and other measures with the information freely available
Area Wide Weed Management Area wide management for cropping systems weeds, investigating the weed management, social and economic opportunity. ABOUT the project A novel approach to weed management in Australia is being investigated with the start of a project that aims to research the management, economic and social benefits of tackling weeds on a broader
Mallee Seeps have become a significant land management issue in recent years, causing productive farming ground to become saturated, unproductive, weed infested and eventually totally degraded as bare saline scalds or water basin. Seeps have become more evident in the last 10 years and are likely due to farming system changes coupled with very high
High Work Rate Plough This MSF led project has delivered a high work rate plough prototype in collaboration with UniSA Research Engineers and John Shearer. ABOUT the project As grain growers reach the upper limit of production gains with existing agronomic practices and varieties, they are becoming more focused on addressing the soil constraints that
