Bringing Smarter Risk Management to Our Region: AMPS & the RiskWi$e Program

May 20, 2025

At AMPS, we’re committed to delivering practical, market leading research that supports growers across northern New South Wales. That’s why we’re proud to be leading the northern NSW hub of RiskWi$e, a major national investment backed by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and led by CSIRO.

RiskWi$e is a $30 million initiative running from 2023 to 2028, focused on helping grain growers make more confident, informed decisions in the face of uncertainty. It’s all about building tools and strategies that improve the risk–reward balance of every decision made on-farm, whether that’s a nitrogen plan, cropping rotation, or major investment.

Our Role in RiskWi$e

As the delivery partner for the northern NSW hub, AMPS is working directly with CSIRO and grower groups around the country to ensure our region’s unique challenges and opportunities are front and centre. We're bringing national research to a local level, and shaping it with local grower input.

The RiskWi$e program here in northern NSW focuses on three key areas:

Nitrogen Strategy Trials
We’ve established three long-term trials across Walgett, Moree, and the Liverpool Plains. Rather than just comparing nitrogen rates, we’re assessing long-term strategies, budgeting vs replacement, N banking vs responsive approaches. The goal is to help growers make informed, seasonally relevant decisions that improve profitability and reduce risk over time.

Cropping System Decisions
Risk often stems from tough choices in the rotation, adding summer crops, choosing break crops, or navigating shifting commodity prices. We’re working with growers to simulate and assess the impact of these decisions, creating resources that reduce uncertainty and improve strategic planning.

Financial Decision-Making Support
From machinery to land acquisitions, big investments carry big risk. That’s why we’ll be delivering a series of workshops over the next 12–18 months to equip growers with the frameworks and insights to make more confident decisions around capital allocation and business growth.

What This Means for Growers

This program is about more than research, it’s about putting practical, data-backed tools in the hands of local farmers. Over the coming months, AMPS will share emerging trial results, offer workshops, and work closely with growers to translate insights into on-farm action.

We’re excited to be at the forefront of a national effort to reframe risk, not as something to fear, but as something to understand and manage smartly.

Stay tuned for more updates on the RiskWi$e program, trial findings, and workshop opportunities. For questions or to get involved, contact the AMPS Research team.