Funding to support mixed species crop demonstrations
There’s a call out to farmers and farming businesses to establish winter mixed species demonstration sites through the Regenerative Agriculture Program (RAP).
The RAP involves a range of management activities to prevent and abate soil acidity, soil erosion, and improve soil carbon and on-farm biodiversity.
Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula Regenerative Agriculture Project Officer, Mary Crawford said Eyre Peninsula farmers have the opportunity to undertake paddock demonstrations this spring to get a better understanding of which pasture and cropping species work in their soil and climatic conditions.
“The project, which is funded for the next three years, involves farmers setting up a long term demonstration of mixed species winter and summer cover crops and monitoring the results.
“Landholders select a paddock to demonstrate the success of a variety of plants and measure them against the control. Designing a multi-species annual cover crop means incorporating a mix of cereals, brassica and legumes according to winter or summer sowing opportunities,” Ms Crawford said.
This project has a winter mixed species demonstration component (which can be sown for grazing, hay or grain production) as well as a summer cover crop demonstration component with data collected from the sites for up to three seasons. It is intended that the pasture and cropping options will have long-term benefits to improve soil health.
“Interest in establishing mixed species summer and winter cropping and pastures has increased over the past two years on Eyre Peninsula with nine demonstration sites being established. Opening rains this year gives good opportunity for farmers to investigate the benefits of establishing a summer cover crop,” Ms Crawford said.
Applications for projects need to be submitted to Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula by COB Monday 22 June 2020.
The RAP is supported by Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
For further information please contact Mary Crawford, 0407 187 878 or mary.crawford@sa.gov.au. Download the Application Form and Guidelines by visiting www.landscape.sa.gov.au/ep/get-involved/grants-and-funding
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