Mesonet to expand into the South East

Conditions Over the Landscape, working in with the MacKillop Farm Management Group, will install 43 new high-resolution automatic weather stations across the Limestone Coast to provide real-time information on conditions conducive to spray-drift, helping farmers to avoid damages to off-target crops.

Three mesonet weather stations have also been set aside for the Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale regions.

COtL director Damon Grace said the project would build upon experience in establishing the two mesonets (total of 71 weather stations) in the Mid North and the Riverland and Mallee.

"Reduction in spray drift is also beneficial for human health and the environment, while farmers successfully deliver expensive chemicals to targeted crops," he said.

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The Limestone Coast Mesonet will deliver other useful weather data such as fire danger, rainfall, evapotranspiration and crop phenology metrics.

Primary Industries Minister David Basham said the new network would be a "game changer" for farmers at McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and the Limestone Coast.

"Estimates currently put the potential loss of value of agricultural production from spray drift at over $160 million a year in these regions so the expansion of the Mesonet network will have significant economic and environmental benefits," he said.

"Having real time data at hand will assist farmers to identify the potential for weather patterns, enabling them to make responsible and informed decisions about when to spray or not.

"Where the mesonet system has been operational over the past few years there has been a decline in the number of spray drift reports."

The Limestone Coast mesonet is expected to be fully operational and opened in December 2023.

Earlier this month, it was announced the Mid North mesonet network would become a subscription service from March 1, while the Riverland and Mallee mesonet will remain free to use for at least another year.

Mr Grace said the Limestone Coast Mesonet would initially be free to use for stakeholders.