Low Rainfall Collaboration

Low Rainfall Linking Project

How it all began | Project Background | Project Map (PDF)

How it all began - the Low Rainfall Linking Project!

Five farming systems groups located in the low rainfall (<450 mm) wheatbelt of SE Australia have obtained funding from GRDC to link the groups and enhance their research and extension capabilities. The groups are - Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc., Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems, Upper North Low Rainfall Farming Systems, Central West Farming Systems and the Birchip Cropping Group.

The following summary briefly describes each project region:

• Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc. (MSF Inc.) is a tri-state farming sytems group covering an area of 7 million hectares through SW NSW, NW Victoria and NE SA. MSF is based in Mildura, Vic with research sites at Waikerie, Ouyen, Werrimul, Kerribee and Karoonda. Average annual rainfall across the region is < 350 mm.
• Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems (EPFS) was established in 1998 and is located on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, covering an area of 4.6 million hectares. Average annual rainfall varies across the region from 250 - 400 mm. Research sites extend across the Eyre Penninsula and work is conducted with existing ag bureau organisations.
• Upper North Low Rainfall Farming Systems (UNLRFS) are another South Australian farming systems group located north of Port Pirie and Port Augusta. The region extends from Leigh Creek (in the north-west) to the NSW border to Peterborough and the Murray River (in the south-east), an area of approx. 15 million hectares. Research sites are located across the Upper North working with existing ag bureau organisations.
• Central West Farming Systems (CWFS) extends across central-western NSW, an area of approx. 14 million hectares. CWFS is centred in Condobolin, where average annual rainfall is 442 mm. CWFS has a core site at Condobolin and 10 regional sites located across the region where average annual rainfall ranges from 350 - 600 mm.
• BCG (Birchip Cropping Group) is a not-for-profit agricultural research organisation led by farmers in the Wimmera Mallee region of Victoria. BCG strives to improve the prosperity of rural and farming communities, to bolster broader community vitality and provide practical solutions to farm production and business constraints.

Low Rainfall Linking Project team members.

Project Background

In November 2002, a meeting between these groups identified common issues (e.g. distance, climate, sodic soils, paucity of other low rainfall agricultural research, traditional low input farming systems tending towards increasing inputs) between the four groups. There was a general consensus that working together would benefit all groups and growers in these low rainfall regions.

The groups discussed how the collaboration should occur. It was decided the best way to collaborate would be to work together in a variety of ways to best suit each group. An annual event would be held, where everyone got together to discuss research, extension and issues and would enable discussion, sharing and would foster involvement between the 5 groups.

At the meeting of the groups, the strengths and weaknesses of each group were identified. Future collaboration between the groups will enable all to benefit from the strengths of the others. This will assist with overcoming each groups weaknesses. To achieve this, the groups will need to travel to visit each other and to spend time together. Those required to travel may be research staff, extension staff, management committee and/or grower members.

Expected Outcome

An extension message of greater bearing and importance given to growers in the low rainfall wheatbelt of SE Australia. This may lead to a greater rate of adoption of research and increased grain yields in the low rainfall wheatbelt of SE Australia.