Drought resilience grant for Dookie-led research

Minister Littleproud made the announcement at the University of Melbourne's Dookie Campus in north-east Victoria this week and said that the funding demonstrates the Australian Government's commitment to harnessing innovation to better prepare for periods of drought.

Dr Gupta's project, ‘Whole-system Redesign of Broadacre Farming of SE Australia', is looking to redesign the whole system of broadacre farming in south-eastern Australia to plan for, cope with, and recover from drought, through an inclusive systems approach that brings together individual proven practices into diversified farming systems.

"This project will demonstrate how pulses can be used as an integral part of crop rotations in mixed and grain farming systems where farm resilience is further enhanced by incorporating native crops and grasses," said Dr Gupta.

Alongside collaborators from the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, several Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub partners will be involved in the project, including Riverine Plains Inc and Birchip Cropping Group, along with the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, Black Duck Foods and Gap Flat Track Native Foods.
The project and the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub are funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund.

Co-director of the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, Professor Timothy Reeves said: "This is indicative of the trust and teamwork which has been built across the Victoria Innovation Hub to better serve our stakeholders, on farms, in the environment, and in rural communities."

Riverine Plains Inc is leading the North East Regional Node of the Victoria Drought Resilience and Innovation Hub and chief executive officer, Catherine Marriott, said that it was lovely to hear how genuinely excited the Minister is about the collaborative, grass roots model operating in the Victorian Hub.

"We were able to showcase the collaboration we have with the other nodes and universities, as well as share examples of how the decentralised model is working, while bringing state and federal government, universities and the farming systems groups together," Marriott said.