Don’t miss our Demonstration Day, 16th March in Dalyup!
South Coast NRM has now completed its second year of the Subsurface Drainage Return on Investment Trial, an investment by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). To date, the conditions for the three-year trial couldn’t have been better, with rainfall well over the ninetieth percentile across the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. High rainfall has created the perfect testing ground for subsurface drainage, where the slotted tile drains are effectively moving perched water away from the root zone, thereby reducing crop yield loss due to waterlogging.
A fantastic result from the second year of the trial was the addition of two new trial locations, in Dalyup and Wittenoom Hills. The now three sites, including the original site in Neridup, will provide robust data for the final return on investment analysis set to be announced mid-2024. We’re looking forward to demonstrating the outcomes of subsurface drainage as a management tool to alleviate waterlogging and with promising preliminary results, hopefully help growers across the region to realise the full potential of their waterlogged crops.
It’s not only us who are excited, the growers we have partnered with are so confident in the early successes of the drains, that they’re ready to expand. With our additional sites set to install in March we want to capitalise on this opportunity for knowledge sharing. Clear your calendars on 16th March for a Demonstration Day at the Dalyup trial site, with subsurface drainage contractor and expert Cody Harrison, Farm-Xport, all the way from California. Esperance is just one of four demonstrations sites on Cody’s trip to rural and remote Australia, and he’s looking forward to connecting with growers in our region. Joining Cody is the trials project officer, Sophie Willsher, South Coast NRM who is looking forward to sharing more of the trials preliminary results. Learn from the expert and the trials growers about how to implement subsurface drainage on your property.
Visit Soil-Max Tile Plow Demonstration – Esperance to register. For any questions, contact Sophie (p) 9076 2200 Ext. 201 or (e) sophiew@southcoastnrm.com.au
South Coast NRM are proud to be partnering with local growers and GRDC to deliver local innovative trials. To keep up to date with the trial, visit our Southern Soils website.