A carrot farm was Scott Morrison's first stop in Tasmania with the coalition trying to sow fertile ground in marginal battles.
While the government holds no lower house seats in the island state, the party has its eyes on three potential gains.
On Wednesday, the prime minister started in Forth near Devonport, which is in the Labor-held electorate of Braddon.
A $100 million irrigation project has the backing of both major parties, with the coalition matching the opposition's support for the scheme.
In spitting rain, Mr Morrison toured the farm where he pulled carrots out of the ground and spoke to growers.
He didn't go down the Tony Abbott path of eating the produce despite carrots being far less weird to eat raw than onions.
Labor's Justine Keay holds Braddon with a 1.7 per cent margin, while the Launceston-based seat of Bass, held by Ross Hart by 5.4 per cent, could also be in play.
Mr Morrison promised $30 million for a Launceston precinct for defence research and development, a project Labor pledged $20 million for.
Tasmania's second largest city is in Bass, with a poll of 847 voters in the electorate showing the Liberals ahead of Labor 54-46 on a two-party preferred basis.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack joined Mr Morrison on the campaign trail for the first time.
"I'm only sorry I didn't bring a pocket of nails today because with this soil I could have thrown them in the ground and grown crowbars," he said at the carrot farm.
It wasn't the only mention of fertility.
The Nationals leader joked about the old adage to "go forth and multiply".
"This is what we're doing. We're here in Forth and we're multiplying - we are multiplying water security, we are multiplying jobs and we are multiplying economic activity."
But he was relieved there were no onions in sight after Nationals frontbencher Matt Canavan chomped on one at the weekend.
Mr Morrison headed to Lyons where Liberals believe Jessica Whelan is a dark horse to score an upset victory.
But changing electoral boundaries have benefited sitting Labor MP Brian Mitchell, who holds the seat with a 3.8 per cent buffer.
At a cafe in Elizabeth Town, Mr Morrison gave media interviews to the travelling press pack and drilled down on the theme of economic management.
"We manage money, we invest in the things that matter to people - whether it's roads, schools or hospitals - and we enable ourselves to do that by supporting the growth of our economy," he told AAP before touring an ice creamery across the road.
Tasmania could form a vital plank of the government's re-election strategy, with the coalition needing to make gains to form a majority.
Expect the government to offer more carrots to Tasmanians in a bid to dodge electoral stick on May 18.
Australian Associated Press
