Sustainable agriculture

The agricultural area of Eyre Peninsula ranges from broad-hectare agricultural production with largely mixed cereal and livestock grazing on annual pastures to intensive cropping in the more reliable rainfall areas with pulse and oilseed crops in the rotations. Annual rainfall varies from a reliable 600mm at Port Lincoln to a highly variable 270mm west of Penong.

Soils vary from shallow calcrete and calcareous loams to dune-swale and sandy plains with a range of management issues affecting the sustainability and profitability of framing enterprises. Our Land Management Control Policy provides more details on land system descriptions and land management risks; as well as setting out land management principles.

Sustainable agriculture

Land management resources

  • Soil management is a significant aspect of farming. Our soil management page includes a range of information about managing this critical farm asset.
  • We have a range of information about grazing including case studies on different techniques including using temporary electric fencing to improve stocking rates.
  • For property managers who are currently farming in hard times or planning for upcoming tough times, we have some links to information which may be useful.
  • Future water security is an important aspect of farming to consider. This page includes resources for water planning on a property.
  • We have previously worked with local farmers and research agencies to investigate alternative farming techniques for cropping and pastures. Read information about stubble management, pasture recovery, herbicide resistance and pest snail management.
  • We have a range of information about grazing including case studies on different techniques including using temporary electric fencing to improve stocking rates.
  • Our Regenerative Agriculture Program page has a range of case studies from demonstrations undertaken during our five-year project up to June 2023.
Other resources

Find out more about soil carbon on the Eyre Peninsula through this research project which aimed to identify land management practices with the potential to change soil carbon content in red-brown earth soils of the Mid-North and Eyre Peninsula. This project was led by CSIRO who has developed a map of Australia's stored soil carbon which it will use to track changes in soil carbon stocks and assist with strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through soils.

Eyre Peninsula farming networks

There are local farming networks which can also be a useful resource.

Find out about the latest research

These organisations undertake a range of agriculture research.

Sustainable agriculture

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