In total, seven long term trials across the country will be funded as part of a $38 million package for a wide variety of projects, including research on super soils, drought-resistant crops and feed for cattle.
These include a $7.2 million going to the University of Melbourne, which will lead a consortium to consider adaptations that can improve drought resilience of broadacre grains, grazing and mixed farming systems.
Another $8 million will be given to Deakin University to investigate the diversity in pastures to build resilience.
Trial sites for the University of Melbourne project will be located in Victoria and Tasmania, while the Deakin University project will have trial sites in Victoria as well as WA, SA and Tasmania.
Along with the university funding, $4 million will go to the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils for trials in drought reliance in Victoria, NSW and WA.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the package when he visited Tamworth ahead of a Bush Summit held in Tamworth this past Friday.
"We know that already some changes to the climate are locked in, so what we need to do is to minimise that by taking action on climate change, but also we need to deal with mitigation issues as well," he said.
"Australian farmers have shown great resilience, and I'm sure they'll continue to do so, but we need to use science to improve yields, to improve productivity."
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said the announcement was part of an annual $100 million dividend from the Future Drought Fund Labor voted against in 2019, and was not new money.
"It comes from the $5 billion fund the Coalition created during one of our nation's worst droughts," he said.
"But what was most appalling was that Labor voted against it when regional communities were on their knees.
"It's important now that the government gives clarity on where the balance of that $100 million dividend will be spent for this year, as we head into an El Nino cycle."
Other funding includes $8 million for Flinders University for trials on the climate resilience of cropping, livestock, and mixed farms across multiple sites in SA and $4.3 million for NQ Dry Tropic Limited to look at the effectiveness of virtual fencing.
