Extending results from the Soil CRC Plant Diversity project

WHY THIS PROJECT WAS IMPORTANT

Improving soil health is an important part of building resilience to drought and future climate challenges. Summer cover cropping and companion cropping are two methods being investigated for their potential to build diversity and improve soil health in the Riverine Plains.

This project builds upon the Building Resilient Soils and Enhancing Carbon Stocks in Cropping Systems through Plant Diversity initiative by Soil CRC, supporting farmers in adopting land management practices that protect soils and enhance soil moisture retention, to improve overall resilience to drought. 

This project explored key benefits and challenges of summer cover cropping and companion/intercropping systems in the Riverine Plains, based on outcomes from a long-term Soil CRC and Australian Government's Future Drought Fund trial at Burramine.

By providing local insights into cover cropping and intercropping, this project supports farmers to make informed decisions about their role in the Riverine Plains, based on both scientific trial results and practical, real-world considerations. 

Project focus

This project has delivered:

• A desktop evaluation of the benefits, challenges, and economic feasibility of cover cropping and companion/intercropping under different seasonal conditions 
• Video and written case studies featuring Waggarandall farmer Tony Ludeman and Southern Cross University Researcher Abe Gibson, designed to provide farmers with practical insights that can support them to navigate drought and climate variability
• Interactive workshop sessions with farmer feedback ensuring that the knowledge shared is directly applicable to regional conditions and real-world farming needs

The project was designed to provide a balanced assessment of cover and companion cropping in the region, allowing farmers to implement strategies suited to their specific regional and economic contexts. 

Project outcomes

Case studies

As part of the project, we caught up with Tony Ludeman, who shared his experiences of companion cropping wheat with vetch in the Dookie area. More detailed insights are available in the text version of Tony's case study interview.

As part of this project, we also caught up with Southern Cross Researcher, Abe Gibson, who describes key learnings and insights about summer cover and companion cropping for the Riverine Plains, based on outcomes from our Burramine trial site. For more detailed insights, see the text version of Abe's case study interview.