The new Farming Systems South project is looking at various crops, their end uses and investigating common (and not so common) crop rotations to determine what is most profitable and sustainable for our region.

This  four year project with the hope of extension, will include field trials, modelling and forecasting to determine profitability and sustainability of the various systems.

While many of the systems may look familiar, it is important to note that some of the crops and systems being looked are not common at all.

A key component of the project is to investigate systems that might be viable in the future, and have benefits other than short term profit, such as soil carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, and disease resistance.

The rotations being explored at the SFS Streatham site are:

1. Baseline – Canola – wheat – canola – wheat
2. Inclusion of pulse for double break- Faba bean – canola – wheat – wheat
3. Different sequencing – Faba bean – wheat – canola – wheat
4. Crop end use (hay) – Vetch (hay) – canola – wheat
5. Reduce break intensity – Canola – wheat – barley
6. Incorporate single pasture phase – Pasture (sown, grazed) – canola – wheat
7. Double pasture phase – Pasture (sown, grazed) – pasture (grazed) – canola – wheat
8. Crop end use (brown manure) – Vetch (BM) – canola – wheat
9. Companion cropping – Mix (canola + field pea) – wheat
10. Continuous companion cropping – Mix (canola + field pea) – mix (wheat + vetch)
11. One-year responsive system 1 – Intercropping mix
12. One-year responsive system 2 – Wheat with summer legume or cover crop if season allows
13. One-year responsive system 3 – Wheat and clover pasture based

Is your rotation in the list above? Or something you thought you would like to try? Is there something missing?

Come along to AgriFocus and have your say! There is scope in the project to look into any ideas you might have!

Image:

1. Crop Sequencing Trial at Satellite Site Warrambine

Source: A Gripper, SFS