SEEDPRIMING

Collaborators: SARDI SANTFA Uni SA and AIR EP

Since 2021 six projects have been underway that explore practices and technologies to maximise groundcover in the system yearround Supported through $25 million in funding from the Australian Government Future Drought Fund, the projects cover a range of strategies that improve crop establishment and reduce stubble disturbance and degradation at multiple points throughout the season:

Seeding – seed priming to help seeds germinate in low moisture conditions

Crop establishment - long coleoptile wheat to sow into subsoil moisture rather than having to wait for the autumn break Harvest – strip and disc systems

Stripper front harvesting to maximise the proportion of standing crop residue with disc seeders to seed into the standing stubble

These projects were chosen because the technology is either already in use in other regions (and needs assessing and adapting to suit low rainfall environments) or is close to market

Seed priming is commercially available overseas and for some horticulture crops in Australia but needs work to adapt for grain crops in Australia Long coleoptile wheat is used commercially overseas but is in the test phase in Australia Strip and disc systems are currently used in high rainfall areas in Australia Virtual fencing trials are well underway and are expected to be commercially available soon Soil amelioration is becoming standard practice where it’s needed but working in narrow strips (strip amelioration) needs assessing