What the eef are EEFs? This episode dives deep into not only what EEFs are, but how they can change modern grain farming. On the face of it, they are enhanced efficiency fertilisers, but what it can mean is farmers are able to take control over fertiliser loss in their paddocks and be a lot closer to meeting global emissions targets. A four year multi-million dollar co-investment is aiming to explore how Australian grain growers can improve nitrogen use efficiency and reduce on farm greenhouse g...
Feb 03, 2026•24 min
Adapting new technology on farm has always been vital to farming success. As modern Australian farming moves further into the digital age, fully automated systems are being considered and in this new Grain Automate podcast series, we'll be exploring innovative stories showing practical real-world examples of autonomy in grain farming. This episode emphasises that autonomy isn't about buying the newest robot. It's about building the right environment for automation to succeed and understanding wh...
Jan 27, 2026•23 min
In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, mixed farmer Wayne Pech shares the sustainable farming practices he’s weaving into his business North Stirling Downs in WA’s Great Southern region; more specifically his focus on emission management, and the importance of family involvement in agriculture. Host Oli Le Lievre asks Wayne about the on-farm changes he’s made to improve water efficiency, and how his team of core staff members allows him to outsource daily tasks to his manager and free his mind...
Jan 25, 2026•37 min
In this episode, grower Tristan Baldock and agronomist Brett Masters from EPAG Research in South Australia talk about why growers on the Eyre Peninsula are trialling modification practices in a bid to combat their sandy soil constraints. Trials are taking place across more than 20 farms in the GRDC southern region, and it's all part of an ongoing co-investment between GRDC and CSIRO in collaboration with other research partners. Contacts: Brett Masters Research Agronomist, EPAG Research brett@ep...
Jan 20, 2026•17 min
There are new tools available for durum wheat growers, presenting opportunities to close the yield gap with bread wheat. With a major pasta processing company in South Australia, durum is particularly sought after. The average area sown over the past five years in SA has been around the 50-thousand-hectare mark, but that area is now being extended into non-traditional durum growing regions such as the southeast of the state. With its natural genetic resistance to stripe rust and septoria tritici...
Jan 13, 2026•17 min
Ian Longson reflects on his incredible career in the grains sector spanning 55 years, servicing farmers and agriculture businesses and passionately advocating for the industry. Through various roles in economics and policy, he’s developed a deep respect for grain farmers; not just for the value they bring to the nation’s economy, but the contribution they make to the social fabric of regional areas. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats to Ian about his childhood visi...
Jan 11, 2026•31 min
According to a survey done by the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA), 75 per cent of surveyed students say they know nothing or little about the grains industry - despite it being one of Australia’s largest exports. In this episode, PIEFA CEO Luciano Mesiti outlines one of their key aims; to increase student knowledge and understanding through boosting teachers’ confidence with agricultural content. This is a concept shared by GRDC and reflected in their long-term relation...
Jan 06, 2026•20 min
GRDC has a rigorous process in and around how it invests. GRDC is constantly engaging with growers and looking for opportunitiesto take an idea, ground truth it and find out if there is a way to invest that will lead to a positive impact for growers. In this podcast GRDC southern panel Chair, Andrew Russell and senior regional manager for the southern region, Courtney Ramsey take us through GRDC’s process - from idea to investment. Contacts: Courtney Ramsey Senior Regional Manager - South courtn...
Dec 16, 2025•14 min
It doesn’t get much more marginal than Yilgarn, on the eastern fringe of WA’s wheatbelt, and it takes a certain kind of farmer to remain profitable and up for the challenge of a drying climate. Fourth generation grain farmer Clint Della Bosca has made some strategic decisions in recent years to steer his business in a more positive direction, as the next generation emerges. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Clint about the evolution of this farming practices ...
Dec 14, 2025•32 min
Many growers are currently facing the challenges that come with paddocks that are split. Some nearly ready for harvest, others showing significant regrowth. In this episode, we talk about the ins and outs of managing regrowth in crop during harvest and hear from Matthew Sparke, an agronomist with Sparke Agricultural and Associates based in Victoria, and harvest specialist, Kassie Van Der Westhuizen. Contacts: Matthew Sparke Sparke Agriculture matthew@sparkeag.com.au Kassie Van Der Westhuizen One...
Dec 09, 2025•8 min
Permanent tramlines in a controlled-traffic farming system offer a range of benefits including less soil compaction across the whole paddock, fuel savings, higher yields and better in-crop access. Over time, tramlines can compact deeper than the rest of the paddock and can become rutted, with ridges forming where tyres push soil to the sides of the tramline. In this episode, we’re joined by Bindi Isbister from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and grower Camer...
Dec 02, 2025•13 min
Much like mechanics might have cars in a less-than-ideal state, agronomists often have the messiest crops, with their attention going to their customers first. Kojonup grain farmer and agronomist Courtney Piesse isn’t too worried though, as his own agronomy business keeps the bills paid and his mind connected to the people and innovation alive in the industry. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Courtney about pivoting from his dream of being a fighter pilot to...
Nov 30, 2025•21 min
Vibrant, colourful blooms and an attractive daisy-like appearance make them a popular choice for gardens and landscaping. But unfortunately, quick growing gazanias are actually a weed, one that's jumped the fence and is now invading the paddocks of grain growers. GRDC has identified gazania as a weed threat and is responding by investing in research to determine its distribution and abundance, review current control methods, and inform management strategies for the grains industry. In this podca...
Nov 25, 2025•19 min
Groundbreaking innovation tends to happen through multidisciplinary approaches and a range of expertise. That statement has never been truer than in a new national project bringing together precision technologies, remote sensing, and modern machine capabilities with knowledge of weed ecology and population dynamics to predict the emergence of weed patches across paddocks. This project is part of the Grain Automate initiative bringing together weed science expertise from the University of Western...
Nov 18, 2025•14 min
Shannen Davies’ idyllic childhood in Geraldton gave her a deep connection to the regions, and an appreciation for the innovation and growth happening in the farming space. Knowing agriculture has an incredible story to tell, Shannen uses her role as Communications Manager at InterGrain to ensure the groundbreaking research and innovation is given the platform it deserves. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Shannen about her life-changing Nuffield scholarship j...
Nov 16, 2025•40 min
Have you ever wondered how to collect the perfect sample of cereal rust? This is the episode for you. Listen as Matthew Williams and Margarita Pietilainen from the Australian Cereal Rust survey team at the University of Sydney’s Plant Breeding Institute give a detailed description on how to gather and prepare rust samples from the paddock for postage. You’ll also hear from Dr Mumta Chhetri who leads the project. They analyse up to 1700 rust samples per year sent by growers and their agronomists ...
Nov 12, 2025•14 min
This episode explores the rise in fungicide resistance in Australian crops like wheat and barley by discussing work being done at Horsham Smart Farm in the Wimmera region of Victoria. Scientists from the Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN) including plant pathology research leader Dr Joshua Fanning and research scientist Melissa Cook are intentionally creating conditions to attract diseases to help decipher which varieties are more susceptible to disease. The Australian Fun...
Nov 04, 2025•15 min
With farming roots deep in the south coast of WA, Julianne Hill’s career path has taken many twists and turns. Supporting farmers to reach their full potential has always been her focus, and that’s helped greatly by the long-term relationships she’s built over many rides in headers and cups of tea around kitchen tables. Having led the GRDC grower networks for more than a decade, she knows the impact meaningful research can have on on-farm outcomes. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host O...
Nov 02, 2025•36 min
Think twice when it comes to prophylactic spraying. That's the advice to southern growers this season. When disease pressure is low, reducing spraying means reducing costs. But just how should growers make the often-risky decision not to spray? To find out more we spoke to Nick Poole from FAR Australia and the Australian Fungicide Resistance Network, otherwise known as AFREN. Contact: Nick Poole FAR Australia & AFREN nick.poole@faraustralia.com.au More Information: AFREN FAR Australia Projec...
Oct 28, 2025•17 min
Growers in Western Australia need to be on the lookout for barley scald as it is increasing in prevalence and severity, including virulence onto varieties that have previously been rated as resistant. In this podcast we talk to senior research scientists at WA's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Andrea Hills and Dr Kithsiri Jayasena about what growers can do to combat barley scald in the season ahead. AFREN is a GRDC initiative to empower growers to mitigate the ...
Oct 21, 2025•11 min
Fritz Bolten is so dedicated to making agriculture work in Western Australia’s rugged Kimberley region he’s tried growing more than 26 different crops. He owns Oasis Farms, a 573 ha irrigated cropping enterprise in the Ord Valley growing chia, corn, chickpeas, mungbeans, cotton and sorghum forage seed. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Fritz about why he’s transitioning to an exclusively cotton and corn rotation. His ‘have a go’ approach to farming has led to...
Oct 19, 2025•37 min
It’s an ever-present challenge for Australian grain growers, but understanding how fungicide resistance develops, and what can be done to manage it, is key to protecting crops, and keeping disease pressure low. In this episode at the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) at Curtin University, Dr Nola D’Souza explains how her team detects and tracks fungicide resistance in the lab, the role of AFREN, and the practical steps growers can take to slow its spread. The Australian Fungicide Res...
Oct 14, 2025•15 min
Growers in Western Australia are well aware of the benefits of growing legumes in their rotation, but often have concerns about their reliability and can lack confidence in their production. A GRDC investment with the Grower Group Alliance is aiming to change that, and in a four-part series, we'll be tackling the agronomy, profitability, marketing, and harvesting of growing legumes in WA. In this episode, we tackle the first part of that equation: how to grow them. Joined by agVivo agronomist, a...
Oct 07, 2025•13 min
Welcome to GRDC’s National Variety Trials, or NVT, new variety podcast series, where Australia's leading breeding companies share their latest releases for the 2026 growing season. When it comes to choosing the right variety, NVT is the only independent variety information source trusted by Australian growers. In GRDC's 2025 grower survey, nine out of 10 growers accessed NVT information, and 94 per cent of those said it influenced their variety selection. Every variety featured in this podcast h...
Sep 30, 2025•30 min
Welcome to GRDC’s National Variety Trials, or NVT new variety podcast series, where Australia's leading breeding companies share their latest releases for the 2026 growing season. When it comes to choosing the right variety, NVT is the only independent variety information source trusted by Australian growers. In GRDC's 2025 grower survey, nine out of 10 growers accessed NVT information, and 94 per cent of those said it influenced their variety selection. Every variety featured in this podcast ha...
Sep 30, 2025•25 min
When it comes to storing fertiliser on-farm, small mistakes can turn into big problems. In this GRDC podcast, Grain Storage Extension Team member, Ben White shares practical advice on the dos and don’ts of fertiliser storage. From choosing quality product and limiting handling, through to managing moisture and avoiding dangerous silo blockages. He also highlights the safety risks growers need to be aware of, and where to find trusted resources to help with planning ahead. Contact: Ben White Grai...
Sep 23, 2025•7 min
No matter what crop you grow, or livestock you run, the soil beneath your boots is the foundation of your farm's productivity, profitability, and long-term sustainability. And while soil has always been a cornerstone for grain growers, there's never been a consistent way to define, measure, monitor, or report on soil health in Australia. That's why GRDC has invested in the development of a national Soil Health Framework to close this gap and give growers the tools they need to manage soil more e...
Sep 16, 2025•13 min
Growers around the Eradu area of Western Australia's northern growing region have been deep ripping for many years. Now they're going back and re-ripping for a second, third, fourth, and even fifth time with different machinery as it has progressed over the years. It's all about getting highly alkaline surface soil down deeper in the profile to address subsoil acidity, and at the same time, managing compaction to greater depths. This episode features Craig Topham from Agrarian Management and is ...
Sep 09, 2025•11 min
Fungicide resistance is a serious threat to cropping. When all available registered fungicides are no longer effective at managing disease, options for widespread disease control become limited, and the result is high yield losses. So, when a gateway mutation, the first step toward fungicide resistance in wheat powdery mildew (WPM), was detected in samples collected in Western Australia, alarm bells went off. In this episode we speak to Andrea Hills, research scientist with the Department of Pri...
Sep 02, 2025•10 min
Don't wait until harvest to consider how you are going to protect your stored grain. That's the message from GRDC's stored grain extension team. When it comes to grain storage, the more you invest in pre-harvest preparation, the better the outcome. This episode features Chris Warrick from the Stored Grain Extension Team who talks about the most important strategies to implement. Contact: Chris Warrick Stored Grain Storage Extension Team chris@storedgrain.com.au More Information: 2024 Webinar - P...
Aug 26, 2025•13 min
