How are lupins being managed across the south-eastern Wheatbelt? This project is building a clearer picture of local lupin production systems, exploring herbicide programs, inoculation, nodulation, nitrogen fixation and crop rotations to identify practical lessons and priorities for future R&D.
Continue reading "Understanding Local Lupin Systems"
Faba beans can provide valuable nitrogen benefits beyond the year they are grown – but how does that legacy vary across different soil types? This project is investigating the carryover benefits of faba beans and their influence on nitrogen availability, oat performance and hay quality in the following season.
Continue reading "Faba Beans Legacy in Oaten-Hay"
Facey Group is partnering in a national project investigating innovative soil technologies to improve soil health, crop productivity and farming system resilience. A demonstration trial near Wickepin is comparing lime and gypsum products and application methods to determine their effectiveness in managing soil acidity and improving crop performance under local farming conditions.
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This GRDC-supported project is investigating how Variable Rate Technology (VRT) can improve nutrient use efficiency and farm profitability by matching fertiliser applications to the productivity and nutrient requirements of different areas within a paddock. Working with growers across Australia, the project will generate practical, regionally relevant insights to support the adoption of variable rate fertiliser strategies in broadacre farming systems.
Continue reading "Fostering the Adoption of Variable Rate Fertiliser Application for Improved Nutrient Use Efficiency"
A GRDC INVESTMENT LED BY DELIVERED WITH OUR PARTNERS Improving Phosphorus Use Efficiency in High P-Fixing Soils Project Background: Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important nutrients for crop establishment, root development, and overall productivity in broadacre farming systems. However, in many regions of Western Australia and other southern Australian grain-growing areas, a significant […]
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The Soil Water Repellency project is exploring how non-wetting soils vary across seasons and landscapes in the Wickepin region. Established in 2025, three monitoring sites are helping researchers better understand the impact of soil water repellence on water infiltration, crop establishment, and production risk in sandy soils. The project is funded by GRDC as part of a national research investment led by Murdoch University.
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This project is exploring how containment feeding can improve growth rates, market timing, and profitability of Merino lambs in the WA Wheatbelt. By comparing containment and traditional paddock systems, it aims to provide practical insights into performance, costs, and whole-farm benefits, helping producers make more informed feeding decisions.
Continue reading "MLA PDS: Containment Finishing Merino Lambs"
Producers collaborating to improve saltbush and understory systems, testing species and sharing insights to boost feed, resilience, and performance on saline land.
Continue reading "Saltbush and Understorey Pastures"
The Ripple Effect explores practical ways to improve saline farm dams in the Wickepin region, focusing on water quality, alternative uses and long-term farm sustainability through on-ground trials and collaboration with research partners.
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This project tracks a Wickepin grower to evaluate the cost of removing tagasaste and returning land to cropping. It compares removal costs with local land values to assess whether this is a viable pathway for expanding arable area.
Continue reading "Reclaiming Tagasaste Land"
Facey Group is participating in the GRDC-funded RiskWi$e initiative, that will run from 2023 to 2028. It seeks to understand and improve the risk-reward outcomes for Australian grain growers by supporting grower on-farm decision-making.
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The Nitrogen Banking Project is a part of RiskWi$e, a National Risk Management Initiative. It is a 5-year initiative by GRDC and CSIRO that will run from 2023 to 2028. It seeks to understand and improve the risk-reward outcomes for Australian Grain Growers by supporting grower on-farm decision-making. This project will study various nitrogen (N) management strategies.
Continue reading "GRDC RiskWi$e Nitrogen Banking: Testing Nitrogen Strategies and Rotations"
Increasing summer rainfall and later autumn breaks in the WA wheatbelt are shifting sowing conditions. Accessing deeper stored soil moisture can boost yields and reduce risk, with oats better suited to deep sowing than wheat and barley due to their emergence traits.
Continue reading "Deep Sowing Oats"
The Australian Government is developing a net zero plan, outlining how the agricultural sector can transition to net zero by 2050. The Carbon Farming Outreach program is designed by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) to provide landholders with information and support to help them reduce emissions on farms.
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A project aiming to develop long term strategies to help growers determine sowing location, varietal selection and sowing timing while considering landscape, farm, and paddock conditions.
Continue reading "RiskWi$e Time of Sowing Theme"
Facey Group’s Interconnected Weather Station Project links over 30 on-farm stations to deliver real-time, localised weather data across the region. Growers can access site-specific insights such as frost risk and spraying conditions to support timely decisions, while local fire brigades use the network to enhance fire preparedness and response.
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Grain losses at harvest cost Australian growers significant income each year. To address this, GRDC has funded the multi-year Harvester Set-Up Project, focused on reducing losses, improving efficiency, and enhancing weed seed control.
Facey Group leads the delivery of these workshops across the Western Region.
Visualising Australasia’s Soils: Extending the soil data federation (VAS Phase 2) Project Aim The Visualising Australasia’s Soils (VAS) project aims to provide Soil CRC participants with access to considerable volumes of reliable quality soil data. It will be sourced from a federation of soil data custodians who share their data according to the rules they […]
Continue reading "Mapping Australian Soils"
RiskWi$e Spring Cover Crop Use of Spring-Sown Leguminous Cover Crops to Increase Available N Key Messages Investigating if spring-sown cover crops can mitigate on-farm nitrogen decision risks. Seek to better understand the potential benefits of spring cover crops on soil health and the following cereal crop. Confirm if spring cover crops are appropriate crop rotation […]
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Saltbush Carbon Project Assessing the Potential of Saltbush to Sequester Carbon in WA Southwest Key Messages This project will investigate the carbon sequestration potential in existing local saltbush plantings. This project will evaluate of the performance of new saltbush plantings across different species and planting densities This project will track the growth and carbon sequestration […]
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The Facey Group is investigating the role of soil amelioration in improving cropping system performance on sandy soils. As part of the GRDC RiskWi$e initiative, this project focuses on how changes in soil structure influence legume nodulation and nitrogen availability across a lupin–wheat–canola rotation. Through field trials, the work aims to better understand the link between soil management practices and nitrogen use in broadacre systems.
Continue reading "Ri$kWise Quantifying the Impact of Soil Amelioration on Nitrogen Fixation"
Facey Group, Murdoch University and the Soil CRC are investigating how perennial legumes, companion cropping and soil amelioration can improve soil function, nutrient cycling and crop productivity on low fertility sandy soils in the WA Wheatbelt. The project explores practical farming systems that can build resilience, increase groundcover and support long-term soil health.
Continue reading "Alternative Strategies for Sandy Soils"