Hart Field Day

Our main Field Day held in September each year attracts hundreds of visitors from all over the Mid North, South Australia and interstate. 

With a rolling program of half hour sessions conducted simultaneously throughout the day, highly regarded specialists speak at each trial, backed up by a comprehensive take-home Field Day Guide included in your entry fee. 

Tailor your own program for the day to hear about the trials that most interest you.

In addition to our extensive trials, the Hart Field Day also features a marquee of ag industry stands where you'll find loads of expertise to help support your farm business.

Our major sponsors, Rocky River Ag Services, also have plenty of machinery on display.

There is ample parking and catering is available on-site.

Buses and group bookings are welcome, please get in touch as we're happy to help you with your planning. 
 

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2025 HART FIELD DAY
September 16

 

TICKETS ON SALE HERE NOW!
Tickets essential
$45 each 

 

We’ve got a huge line-up again this year. From soil water and fertility improvements to crop selection, wheat yield traits, durum genetics, weed management, nitrogen decisions, pre-emergent herbicide options and what's next for lentils, our program is packed with practical, research-backed insights you can put to work in your paddocks.

Don’t miss our Tech Demo, where you can see SwarmFarm, FLUX and AgTech Services machines up close and personal, and hear from those who know the most about them.

Get your ticket here now – we can’t wait to see you there!

Contact Sandy for more info:
Sandy Kimber  | Executive Officer
admin@hartfieldsite.org.au  |  0427 423 154

Plan your day here with our Sessions and speakers, Site map, Field program & Food & drink options.
 

   

Click here for an overview of the day: The Day's Proceedings.

HART HOT TIPS
What are are our 7 HOT TIPS to help you get the most out of the day??
Click the image below to find out.

 

 

In the media...

ANNUAL HART FIELD DAY ATTRACTS BIG CROWD

More than 600 farmers, researchers, industry representatives and students converged on the Hart field site on Tuesday, September 16, for the annual Hart Field Day.

Hart Field-Site Group chair, Snowtown farmer Glen ‘Chip’ Wilkinson (pictured below) said the event provided an excellent opportunity to see and hear about the latest agronomy trials, and gather with other like-minded people.

"The general attitude for the day was just fantastic,” he said.

“After the season we had last year, I think people are keen to get off the farm and see what the rest of the state has got on offer, and they’re very aware that they need the social interaction.”

Glen acknowledged that while not all areas of South Australia had received rain, growers across most of the local area were “cautiously optimistic” about the upcoming harvest.

 

NEW TRIAL LAUNCHED AT HART TO BOOST SOIL FERTILITY AND WATER RETENTION

 

A new multi-faceted trial at Hart in South Australia’s Mid North is set to investigate novel cropping strategies to strengthen soil health and build resilience in farming systems.

The trial is funded through the Future Drought Fund’s Long-Term Trial Grants and joins a network of “innovator sites” across South Australia.

Hart Field-Site Group research officer Kaidy Morgan will be joined by Melissa Rebbeck from Metamorf Engineering at the Hart Field Day on September 16 to speak about the new ‘Novel cropping strategies to improve soil fertility and water retention’ trial. Kaidy said across the next three years, a range of approaches to achieve these outcomes would be tested, including stubble management, organic amendments and treatment sprays to promote nutrient availability.

“The project is about building the resilience of farming systems by increasing soil resilience to things like drought, which has obviously been very relevant to this region over the past couple of years,” she said. Read the full story here.

 

FARMING SYSTEMS TRIAL REVEALS LENTILS AND ADAPTABILITY HOLD PROMISE IN DRY YEARS

Early results from a long-term farming systems trial at Hart in South Australia’s Mid North are showing that increasing lentil frequency and making adaptive decisions at seeding and within season can deliver stronger, more reliable returns – even in tough years.

The joint Hart Field-Site Group (Hart) and University of Adelaide trial will feature on the program at this year’s Hart Field Day on September 16. 

University of Adelaide researcher and project lead Dr Matt Knowling said after two dry years at the Hart Field-Site, preliminary trial results showed that systems with more lentils were showing higher profitability and reliability.

“We’re seeing higher profit and less variability in profit from systems with lentils every second year compared with other rotations,” he said.

“The lentil-wheat-lentil-barley system has so far performed better than the common district practice system of lentil-wheat-barley by about $150/ha.

“While the trial is in the early stages, what we’re seeing after two dry years is that there’s potential for increased legume frequency in our cropping systems in the Mid North of SA," he said. Read the full story here

HART FIELD DAY 2025 PROGRAM SHOWCASES RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

From the latest in crop research to hands-on farming innovations, the 2025 Hart Field Day is set to deliver a bumper program for grain growers when gates open on Tuesday, September 16.

Proudly sponsored by Rocky River Ag, this year’s field day offers 20 rolling sessions, giving attendees the freedom to design a program that fits their needs.

With some of Australia’s leading grains researchers and industry experts on site, the field day offers an opportunity to get personalised, practical advice that could make a real difference in the paddock this season and beyond.

Hart chair Glen Wilkinson (pictured) said the program had been designed to cover a broad range of topics and interest areas. 

“If you discover even one new practice to take back to your farm, it’s absolutely worth the visit,” he said.

“The event lets you explore the trial site up close and get real insights into what’s performing well during a season like this one, with a later start.

“And beyond farming, the Hart Field Day is a fantastic chance to catch up with like-minded growers and enjoy a relaxed social atmosphere.” Read the full story here

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2024 HART FIELD DAY
September 17
 

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM HART'S CHAIRMAN
issued September 11, 2024

The wrap up...

BIG CROWD ROLLS IN FOR 2024 HART FIELD DAY

The 42nd Hart Field Day attracted a large crowd, on par with past events, when the gates opened at the trial site on Tuesday (September 17).

Hart executive officer Sandy Kimber said about 550 people attended the field day, with participants eager to both learn from this year’s challenging weather patterns, and be armed with the latest research ahead of planning for next season.

“The Hart team were so pleased to see growers, advisors and industry representatives from across South Australia and interstate meet at the Hart Field Day again this year, especially in such a challenging season,” she said.

“While our core business is cropping research and extension, we’re also about bringing people together to learn from and network with each other.

“Seeing the farming community embrace our program and all it offers in terms of driving improved productivity and profitability, is very humbling.” Read the full story here.
 

What was on offer...

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

SESSIONS & SPEAKERS

FIELD PROGRAM

SITE MAP

THE DAY'S PROCEEDINGS

COFFEE, FOOD, BAR

HOT TIPS


In the media...

HART’S ‘DRY SEASON’ SESSIONS GO BACK TO BASICS WITH NEW RESEARCH TO HELP DECISION-MAKING

There is no denying it has been a challenging start to the 2024 growing season. 

With that in mind, the Hart Field Day program for September 17 features a series of sessions looking at the impact of seasonal conditions and how a low rainfall year affects the management and effectiveness of herbicides and crop establishment.

Hart research and extension manager Rebekah Allen (pictured) said with so many decisions to make on-farm, the sessions aim to help growers make informed choices using some of the latest local researchobservations and data.

“While we had some stored soil moisture, it was a marginal summer period with little rain, and the break didn’t come until the last week of May, with crops then not emerging until early June,” she said. Read the full story here.

DIGGING UP THE DIRT ON NITROGEN FERTILISERS AT THE HART FIELD DAY

Nitrogen efficiency fertilisers are generating plenty of interest among grain growers, but if you are keen to learn more about them, which one to use and when, head along to the Hart Field Day on Tuesday, September 17.

The University of Melbourne’s Associate Professor Helen Suter (pictured) will be there to provide an insight that will help arm grain growers with the knowledge and confidence to make on-farm decisions about the use of enhanced efficiency fertilisers.

“It is important for growers to know what enhanced efficiency fertilisers actually do,” Helen said.

 “There’s a number of different types of products available on the market, but sometimes I think there’s a lack of clarity about why you would want to use one over the other.”

Deciding whether to use urease inhibitors, nitrification inhibitors or controlled release fertilisers can be confusing, but Helen said she hopes to help highlight their different benefits and share some research results. Read the full story here.

HART FIELD DAY 2024 PROGRAM LAUNCHED

The program for the 2024 Hart Field Day has been officially launched and the event on Tuesday, September 17, promises to have something for all grain growers.

Sponsored by Rocky River Ag, this year’s field day features 20 rolling sessions, enabling attendees to customise their own itinerary.

With some of Australia’s foremost grains researchers and industry representatives presenting across the day, it provides a unique opportunity for growers to speak with them direct, and ask questions specific to their own cropping program.

Hart chair Andre Sabeeney said his team had worked hard to offer a diverse range of topics on the program, addressing both this year’s specific challenges, and broader agricultural research. Read the full story here.

 

HART CELEBRATES 20-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH ROCKY RIVER AG

This year marks a two-decade partnership between the Hart Field-Site Group and Rocky River Ag, as platinum sponsor of the Hart Field Day.

Hart is one of Australia’s premier grains research field-sites.

Group chair Andre Sabeeney, (pictured below, right with Matt Dare; Hart Board & Sponsorship Committee, left and Lynton Smart; Rocky River Ag dealer principal) said the research his team are able to undertake continues to expand, made possible through partnerships with organisations like Rocky River Ag. 

"Our sponsors are essential to Hart's success, and the enduring support from Rocky River Ag, Case IH, CNH Industrial Capital, and Flexicoil over the past 20 years has been extraordinary, " he said. Read the full story here.

 

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2023 HART FIELD DAY
September 19

The Hart Field Day cemented its place as one of the country’s leading agronomy field days on Tuesday, September 19, attracting a crowd of almost 550 farmers and industry representatives in its biggest event post-Covid. Hart chair Andre Sabeeney said Hart Field Day provided a unique opportunity for visitors to be on the trial site, hearing from leading researchers and have direct access to their expertise.

“The beauty of Hart is that growers can ask our presenters questions directly related to what is happening on their own farms,” he said.

“I don’t think there is any other agronomy field day in South Australia that offers the same scale of access to some of the country’s leading researchers, actually in the field and amongst the trials.

 “We had visitors from across the state’s cropping areas, along with Western Australia and international visitors from Morocco, we also hosted school groups, university students, and a large number of agronomists and industry people." Read the full story here...

What was on offer...
 

Field Program

Sessions & Speakers

Site Map

The Day's Proceedings

Hot Tips - helping you get the most out of your day

On-site coffee, food, drinks & bar facilities

Machinery and Marquee on display

 

   
    

In the media...

UNDERSTANDING RISK MANAGEMENT ON THE FARM
September 6, 2023

When making big decisions on the farm, there are some definite strategies to make the process easier, that is the word from farm management consultant, coach and facilitator Danielle Lannin England (pictured).

Danielle will be among the session presenters at the Hart Field Day on Tuesday, September 19, where she will give an insight into factors to consider when making important decisions.

“When we talk about risk in agriculture, we often think about production risk, and while that is a key risk, there are other risks around personal and social factors that we need to manage as professional farm business owners,” Danielle said.