To better understand key drivers in stubble retention systems through the publication of the research and farmer case studies to showcase the outcomes from the project.

The project’s aim was to develop regional guidelines and recommendations to assist local growers. 

• Stubble management is not a key driver of yield – stubble management approaches should be considered strategic and flexible not a fixed element that has to be managed around. It is recommended to retain stubble where possible but use tools such as mulching or incorporation to optimise the efficiency of the farming system. Only use burning as a strategic tool when necessary.
• Long stubble shades the emerging crop, resulting in a delay in flowering and maturity. Growers can use this to their advantage by sowing crops earlier into a longer stubble and still have them flower in the correct window, allowing the spread of sowing operations.
• Long stubble did not significantly increase the risk of frost damage in the Riverine Plains region. The likelihood of frost damage is directly connected to the date of flowering and is dependent on whether the date of the frost event coincides with flowering. Managing risk of frost damage by employing a range of sowing dates or stubble heights across a variety/paddock helps spread the risk.

• If full stubble retention is not feasible due to machinery, weeds or disease constraints, there are other options such as shallow incorporation, slashing straw or cutting short at harvest which can reduce the frequency of burning and address timeliness issues.