In Western Australia, outbreaks of fungicide resistance have occurred in several important diseases of barley. Resistance is a significant but preventable problem that can largely be managed by taking care not to repeatedly expose a pathogen to the same product or chemical Mode of Action Group. It is important for growers to recognise that this management regime can include fungicide seed treatments and in-furrow fungicide applications, as well as foliar sprays later in the season. Fungicide rot...
Apr 27, 2021•9 min•Ep. 231
South Australian grain growers have been alerted to several cases of fungicide resistance in recent growing seasons, including in net form net blotch of barley, and wheat powdery mildew. In this podcast, Dr Hugh Wallwork, from the South Australian Research and Development Institute, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions’ research division, talks about the factors that contribute to fungicide resistance and how fungicide management needs to begin with variety and seed treatment selecti...
Apr 27, 2021•11 min•Ep. 232
Growers in the north could consider fungicide resistance less of a threat than growers in the south and west, however there is no room for complacency. As Professor Levente Kiss from the University of Southern Queensland’s Centre for Crop Health points out in this podcast, as long as there are fungal crop diseases there is a risk of fungal resistance. Barley, wheat and pulses can all be affected. Northern growers need to appreciate the importance of rotating and mixing fungicides, including as s...
Apr 27, 2021•14 min•Ep. 233
Some ground breaking research has resulted in a breakthrough for growers and agronomists wanting to measure the potential impact of disease on yield. A national network of trials over five years will result in a new ability to quickly and accurately assess potential disease impact on some of the more popular cereal varieties. On this podcast we look at the results of that research and also how it all came about and salute the hard work of the many agronomists, scientists and biometricians involv...
Apr 21, 2021•11 min•Ep. 230
Farmers across the Western Region are using a variety of stubble strategies to protect soil moisture over summer and to protect those soils from harsh winds. Noel Keding has taken stubble strategies to the next level using a stripper front on his cereals. Noel has some experience using stripper fronts in both low and higher rainfall environments, so his experience may help other growers who are wondering whether stripper fronts might be an option. On this podcast Noel talks about the advantages ...
Apr 14, 2021•14 min•Ep. 229
Losing just one millimetre of topsoil in a wind erosion event can result in significant changes to soil fertility and cause yield losses in subsequent crops of up to six per cent. But there are some measures growers can take to protect their topsoil and reduce the impact of severe wind. In this podcast, Cropfacts consultant Harm van Rees, Agronomy Solutions director Sean Mason and South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions consultant Mary-Anne Young join in a discussion on dea...
Apr 09, 2021•19 min•Ep. 228
The GRDC has for the first time committed to a multi-million-dollar global investment into dedicated research programs to address crop production constraints and the opportunities machine learning can provide, with the aim of driving profitability gains for Australian grain growers. Nine “use-cases” will form the core of the investment which will involve national and international research partners. Contact: Tom Giles Senior Manager, Enabling Technologies Grains Research and Development Corporat...
Apr 07, 2021•17 min•Ep. 227
Online Farm Trials (OFT) is a website that contains a wealth of cropping data from the nation’s leading research organisations, and it’s proving to be an invaluable resource for both growers and researchers alike. This podcast shares how growers can use the platform to make informed management decisions, and how research organisations can benefit from getting involved and contributing trial information. This podcast features Federation University OFT project lead Nathan Robinson, GRDC emerging t...
Mar 31, 2021•14 min•Ep. 226
Changing rainfall patterns in the drier parts of the western region have prompted a rethink of strategies for grower Clint Della Bosca. On this podcast focusing on stubble management in Western Australia, Clint talks about the vital importance of stubble in his system as weather patterns unfamiliar to his area begin to emerge. Clint is undertaking a soil amelioration program while adjusting to less rainfall overall and during the growing season which makes conserving moisture and protecting tops...
Mar 24, 2021•13 min•Ep. 225
Plant Available Water, is key to determining potential crop yield. It’s also the basis for sowing decisions and fertiliser applications. Many things affect how much stored soil water is available, rainfall before and during the growing season, infiltration, evaporation and transpiration. And then there’s Plant Available Water Capacity, which is the total amount of water a soil can store and release to a crop which differs depending on the crop. Contact: Brett Cocks, CSIRO Agriculture and Food 07...
Mar 17, 2021•15 min•Ep. 224
As many Western and Southern region grain growers start preparations for sowing this year’s winter crops, there are still a few areas in the eastern states northern region where late sown summer crops such as sorghum are still standing. In this podcast you’ll hear from a leading authority on Mouse behaviour and management, about the challenges facing growers yet to harvest and those needing to plan a mouse baiting strategy pre-sowing. Contact: Steve Henry e: steve.henry@csiro.au Resources: https...
Mar 11, 2021•18 min•Ep. 223
New research is harnessing advanced computer capabilities and artificial intelligence to fast-track the development of new barley varieties with improved foliar pathogen resistance – shaving years off conventional breeding program processes. Dr Kai Voss-Fels is the project lead and senior research fellow with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, based at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. The program is off to a strong start, thanks to the findings from the four-ye...
Mar 03, 2021•10 min•Ep. 221
Foliar diseases are a major constraint to profitable barley production across Australia, affecting both yield and quality. In this podcast, senior plant pathologist Dr. Lisle Snyman from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland discusses the presence and spread of barley foliar pathogens across Australia's growing regions. Dr Snyman was part of the barley foliar pathogen project. The four-year GRDC investment successfully characterised major barley pathogens in Australia and identi...
Mar 03, 2021•9 min•Ep. 222
Growers are set to get better variety recommendations faster through a new GRDC investment, INVITA, which is adding value to the National Variety Trial (NVT) program. The investment is led by Prof Scott Chapman from the University of Queensland (UQ) which is working in collaboration with Australian partner, CSIRO. The investment, INVITA, leverages off a major EU investment INVITE (Innovations in plant Variety Testing in Europe), a consortium led by INRA in France (INRA being the French equivalen...
Feb 26, 2021•12 min•Ep. 220
Until now, only limited information has been available about in-paddock summer weed distribution and abundance in Western Australia. However, a two-year survey, which will be completed in 2021, will provide hard numbers for the entire wheatbelt. The survey, completed with investment from the GRDC, has been coordinated by Albany-based agronomist Andrew Storrie, of AGRONOMO. Contact: Andrew Storrie, AGRONOMO +61 (8) 9842 3598 0428 423 577 andrew@agronomo.com.au @AgronomoOz Learn more about your ad...
Feb 24, 2021•14 min•Ep. 219
A new GRDC publication containing the latest research into canola production in Western Australia’s low rainfall zones is now available. This detailed GRDC publication also contains grower case studies outlining how growers manage their crops to get the best results in these challenging environments. In this podcast you’ll hear from one of those growers Tony Murfit, who farms near Merredin, about a three hour drive east of Perth. Debra Bishop travelled to the eastern grain belt to record this ac...
Feb 17, 2021•8 min•Ep. 218
Australia’s ongoing reliance on a limited range of chemicals has set a concerning trajectory for insecticide resistance. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies play an important role in curbing future resistance cases, however there’s a strong social dynamic at play when it comes to growers and advisers adopting these strategies on-farm. In this podcast, Bruce Howie from C-Qual Agritelligence and Kelly Angel from Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) delve into the social dynamic of IPM and share ho...
Feb 10, 2021•25 min•Ep. 217
At the December 2020 Crop Protection Forum in Perth, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development research scientist Ben Congdon spoke about the collaborative research effort underway to develop better proactive management strategies for Green Peach Aphid. GPA is a major vector for the transmission of Turnip yellows virus, a serious disease of canola crops which can result in yield losses of up to 46%. Contact: Ben Congdon benjamin.congdon@dpird.wa.gov.au Resources: www.ahri.uwa.edu...
Feb 03, 2021•8 min•Ep. 216
Roberto Busi from the GRDC-supported Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative is working on the use of herbicide mixes as a powerful tool to combat resistant weeds. Dr Busi gave a presentation on this subject at the Crop Protection Forum in Perth in late 2020. Contact Roberto Busi roberto.busi@uwa.edu.au Useful resouces Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) Centre for Crop and Disease Management Cesar Australia WeedSmart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...
Jan 28, 2021•7 min•Season 1Ep. 215
Many decisions growers make are the result of trials undertaken to test any number of variables. These small plot trials are replicated and the results are reliable because they are small plots with little chance of spatial variability. However, the same analysis that is used to decide the results of small plot trials can not be transferred to large plot trials. On this podcast, Katia Stefanova and her colleagues from SAGI - West outline the problems with statistical analysis of large plot trial...
Jan 20, 2021•16 min•Ep. 214
The Kuhlmann family has been farming on the western side of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula for more than a hundred years. Peter Kuhlmann is the latest generation to farm the challenging calcareous soils in this part of the state. Like many growers, Peter has been keen to see more done to better understand these soils and has welcomed the new GRDC calcareous soils investment. The $6.75 million GRDC investment is an industry collaboration with the Soil CRC, CSIRO, Primary Industries and Regions ...
Jan 13, 2021•10 min•Ep. 212
Calcareous soils are very common in the southern grain-growing region and cover 60% of the region’s cropping country. These soils are high in calcium carbonate, resulting in poor crop establishment and low grain yields compared to less hostile soils. But a new research initiative is set to improve the grain industry’s understanding of these soils and how they constrain crop yield and profitability. Behind the initiative is the Grains Research and Development Corporation in conjunction with the C...
Jan 13, 2021•11 min•Ep. 213
For grower James Heggaton who farms around Kojunup in Western Australia, stubble is a crucial part of his farming system but one that must be actively managed year on year. On this podcast, which is one of a limited series looking at how farmers are managing stubble across the western region, James explains the role of stubble in a climate where moisture retention is just one of the factors that guide his stubble system. Contact: James Heggaton James.heggaton@outlook.com Learn more about your ad...
Jan 06, 2021•13 min•Ep. 211
Stubble retention is practiced by farmers across the western cropping region for a variety of reasons. A special series of GRDC/West Australian No Tillage Farmers Association podcasts have been produced featuring growers and advisers who explain how stubble retention fits into their systems, the advantages it brings and how they manage the issues sometimes heavy stubble loads create. On this podcast we speak to Bill Crabtree, a well known champion of conservation agriculture, who talks to us abo...
Dec 30, 2020•12 min•Ep. 210
For the past three years, researchers in Western Australia have been trialling innovative new pasture legume species suited to low to medium rainfall areas. The findings are clear - new species can overcome traditional barriers to use and deliver significant benefits to mixed farming enterprises. In this podcast, Professor John Howieson from Murdoch University discusses the research findings so far and shares how growers can use this insight to boost productivity and profitability on-farm. It’s ...
Dec 23, 2020•11 min•Ep. 209
The extraordinarily high winds experienced by growers around Geraldton in May 2020 emphasised the importance of retaining stubble as a means of protecting the soil. This podcast is one of a limited series looking at how farmers are managing stubble across the western region, brought to you by GRDC and the Wester Australian No Tillage Farmers Association. Farm consultant Craig Topham talks about the lessons learned from that wind event and about the importance of fitting stubble retention into yo...
Dec 16, 2020•15 min•Ep. 207
Now is the time of year to test your paddock for dispersive soil. Many soils in south-eastern Australia have naturally dispersive topsoils that are prone to compaction, temporary water-logging and reduced seedling emergence. In this podcast, NSW Department of Primary Industries research Dr Ehsan Tavakkoli shares a simple one-hour soil test that quickly tells growers if dispersion is an issue in their paddocks, allowing them to make informed gypsum application decisions. Contact: Dr Ehsan Tavakko...
Dec 16, 2020•10 min•Ep. 208
When it comes calculating fertiliser toxicity risk in the paddock, the tools and resources available to growers haven’t really changed over the past 70 years. But exciting new research at the University of Adelaide is modernising our understanding and approach to this important industry issue. In this podcast, research lead Jacinta Dockerill shares the latest fertiliser toxicity research findings and insights. Contact: Jacinta Dockerill jacinta.dockerill@adelaide.edu.au Learn more about your ad ...
Dec 09, 2020•18 min•Ep. 205
Agricultural technology has a long way to go. That was the message mixed enterprise farmer and Nuffield scholar Andrew Slade delivered to those attending the 2020 Perth Grains Research Update. In this podcast, Andrew talks about what conclusions he came home with after his Nuffield study tour and what that means for the adoption of digital technology in the Australian farming sector. Andrew Slade, Mix enterprise farmer Kedenup, Western Australia 0433 779 426 Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Dec 09, 2020•14 min•Ep. 206
Through the careful analysis of more than 18 years of paddock data, we now know that cropping weeds constantly evolve to evade all forms of weed control, including non-herbicide strategies. In this podcast, Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) research agronomist, Dr Mike Ashworth, discusses the evolution of annual ryegrass and wild radish in our cropping systems, and how this information can be used to make strategic weed management decisions. Contact: Dr Mike Ashworth Research agr...
Dec 02, 2020•9 min•Ep. 203
