Understanding frost and minimising financial risk due to frost in the MNHRZ - Building drought resilience in South Australia – the SA Drought Hub podcast

In this episode, Drew Radford is joined by consultant Mick Faulkner from AgriLink and the Mid North High Rainfall Zone (MNHRZ) Farming Systems Group. 

The podcast explores the outcomes of frost risk management trials at Farrell Flat, a high-risk “Red Zone” in South Australia’s Mid North, and dives into how trial work, supported by the SA Drought Hub through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, is helping growers improve decision-making around frost-prone paddocks.

The project, undertaken in a frost-prone cropping zone, aimed to investigate sowing time, crop density and variety selection, assess the impact of ice-nucleating bacteria, trial dual-purpose cereals for resilience, and explore how zoning (Green, Amber, Red) can guide farm planning and financial risk management.

Mick explains the innovative trial design, including the role of canopy density, soil type, and crop nutrition in frost outcomes. He also outlines how growers can identify frost zones using topography, yield maps and historical knowledge.

Growers can also access dry season information for crop and pasture management here. The resources on this page have been collated by the SA Drought Hub team and are of relevance to SA farmers and regional communities. They are to assist in decision making and potential practice change to build drought preparedness and resilience.