• Charles Sturt University’s Gulbali Institute has been awarded $7.94 million to lead a new project under the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program Round 2
• The project, “Adapting temperate viticulture and horticulture to seasonal drought and climate volatility” aims to address the issue of drought risk in perennial cropping systems that have high reliance on rainfall and limited irrigation security
• The project will run for five years from July 2025, designing and testing new agronomic practices to build economic and social drought resilience in Australia's cooler viticulture and horticultural regions
• Research trials will be established in winegrape, apple and cherry producing regions in the Central West and southern regions of NSW and Tasmania. 

Winemakers, apple and cherry producers in the Central West, southern NSW and Tasmania will be better prepared for future droughts after a funding grant of $7.94 million was awarded to Charles Sturt University for a new research project.

Charles Sturt’s Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment received the grant to strengthen viticulture and horticulture resilience through the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ Future Drought Fund. Additional funding and in-kind contributions from the University and project partners being invested into the research brings the total project value to more than $16.6M. 

The project, titled “Adapting temperate viticulture and horticulture to seasonal drought and climate volatility” aims to address the issue of drought risk in perennial cropping systems that have high reliance on rainfall and limited irrigation security.

The project team will design and test new agronomic practices to build economic and social drought resilience in Australia's cooler viticulture and horticultural regions.

Project Leads at the Charles Sturt Gulbali Institute Senior Research Fellow Dr Jason Smith and Professor of Oenology Leigh Schmidtke said the research had the potential to provide long-needed relief to viticulture and horticulture farmers that have been at the whim of climate volatility.

“The overall aim of the project is to address the issue of drought risk in perennial cropping systems that have high reliance on rainfall and limited irrigation security,” Dr Smith said.

“We will focus on practices that conserve and optimise the rainfall derived soil water for plant growth and fruit production and improve the delivery and scheduling of supplementary irrigation.”

Dr Schmidtke said the project will be undertaken in collaboration with a range of tertiary and industry partners.

“Charles Sturt will work with the University of Tasmania through the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA), and NSW horticulture research and industry partners to establish research trials in various winegrape, apple and cherry producing regions in Orange NSW, southern NSW and Tasmania,” Professor Schmidtke said.

The TIA research team, led by Professor Matthew Harrison, will conduct drought resilience field experiments and lead interdisciplinary systems modelling across the project to determine the viability of prospective drought resilience interventions and the impact on production, profitability and long-term sustainability.

Additional producers and organisations will also provide support through the project advisory panel.

Dr Smith said a key element of the research trials was the establishment of partnerships with commercial farms to test practices to increase yield during and after drought.

“The aim is to enhance root system performance, and canopy and floor management strategies that increase water-use efficiency, alleviate drought stress and improve resilience.

“The team will also examine methods for improving the delivery and scheduling of limited supplementary irrigation.

“Farm systems modelling conducted by TIA will quantify economic, environmental and agrifood production under varying intensities of drought and extreme weather events, and then scale findings to applicable zones across Australia.”

To achieve the project’s overall objective of building drought resilience in Australia's cooler viticulture and horticultural regions, it will address vulnerability to declining rainfall, alongside rising water demand in systems with high rainfall dependence and limited irrigation.

Additional projected outcomes of the research include:

• Improved understanding of sustainable agricultural practices under climate stress
• Validated models for water use, carbon storage, and greenhouse gas reduction
• Data-driven insights into fruit quality and plant function under water deficit

• Tailored strategies for different crops (cherries, winegrapes, apples)
• Social science insights into behavioural change in rural enterprises.

This project is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, Charles Sturt University, the University of Tasmania and other project partners.