Trials taking place in Western Australia aim to provide growers with information and resources to increase the effectiveness of claying on poor soil. In this podcast, Dan Fay from Stirlings to Coast Farmers discusses the benefits and long-term soil amelioration that can be achieved by claying and grower Ben Webb shares his experiences with the trials and how it has positively affected yields. Contact: Dan Fay Stirlings to Coast Farmers ceo@scfarmers.org.au Watch the Improving claying efficiency ...
Aug 02, 2023•17 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Terry Horan. Joining us from central Tasmania this week is agronomic specialist Terry Horan, in our last episode of Series 2 of the GRDC podcast In Conversation. For more than 40 years, Terry has been actively involved in agronomy in the low, medium and high rainfall cropping areas. He grew up in between Trundle and Parks, NSW, studied in Wagga, then his career took him from Temora to Tassie and from across the government to the privat...
Jul 30, 2023•39 min
As part of the Australian Grains Pest Innovation Program’s (AGPIP) blue sky approach to tackling insect pests in Australian grain crops, endosymbionts are being used to influence an insect’s ability to transmit crop viruses and resist pesticides. Dr Perran Ross from the University of Melbourne’s Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEAR–G) explains what endosymbionts are, how they are being used and what impact they will have; and PhD student, Eloise Ansermin explains the new behavi...
Jul 25, 2023•14 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dr Allan Mayfield. In 2021, Allan was granted the GRDC Recognising and Rewarding Excellence Award for the southern region for his long-standing input and commitment to the nation’s grains industry. And it's not just the grains industry he's impressed, with Allan named as SA's Australia Day Citizen of the Year 2020. Allan grew up on the Eyre Peninsula, going onto become a researcher in plant pathology and eventually starting his own con...
Jul 23, 2023•49 min
WeedSmart provides solutions to control crop weeds using the ‘Big 6’ principles utilising herbicide, mechanical and cultural tactics. 2023 marks ten years of the WeedSmart program, with a focus on spray efficacy as part of the ‘Big 6’. WeedSmart agronomists, Jana Dixon and Greg Condon discuss the benefits of the WeedSmart ‘Big 6’ as they prepare for WeedSmart Week on 1 August in Dubbo, New South Wales. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Jana Dixon WeedSmart high rainfall zone agro...
Jul 18, 2023•12 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dr Lynne MacDonald. Dr Lynne MacDonald is a research scientist with CSIRO where she leads a portfolio of research on soil carbon and low emissions agriculture. Her early love of agriculture and childhood memories of playing in the dirt stem back to Scotland. Years later, she was awarded a fellowship which saw her move to Canada, but she eventually landed in South Australia to study intensive cropping systems, and she has made it our co...
Jul 16, 2023•36 min
Across the country, many growers have not had much of a break between harvest and this season's operations… and this comes on top of a tough couple of years that included the unpredictability of mother nature, as well as a global pandemic. This podcast explores strategies for maintaining a healthy mindset while under pressure. We spoke to Kim Huckerby from ‘The Wellbeing Affect’ who shares practical advice and steps that everyone can take. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Kim Hu...
Jul 11, 2023•16 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with James Hunt. James Hunt is a Professor of agronomy at the University of Melbourne, but his journey there was interesting and included touring Europe as part of a heavy metal rock band and some home brewing detours. He grew up on a farm in western Victoria and has done quite a bit in the world of grain crop research and farming systems. James talks about the challenge of going from a researcher to a lecturer, how passionate he is about a...
Jul 09, 2023•28 min
Dr Kym Perry from SARDI discusses all things snails including how they got to Australia and have spread across the whole country. He also discusses the new GRDC investment looking at monitoring techniques, biological control and a multifaceted approach to dealing with the widespread problem affecting the grains industry. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Dr Kym Perry SARDI Entomology Project leader kym.perry@sa.gov.au More Information: Groundcover Article – Multifaceted approach ...
Jul 04, 2023•18 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Lawrence Richmond. Growing up in Watchem in western Victoria, Lawrence Richmond had no idea that there were opportunities to be a farmer beyond his farm gate. But at 21, he picked up work in the world of corporate agriculture, opening his eyes to a world of possibility. Fast forward to today and Lawrence joins us from Romania, where he consults and helps to manage properties with farmers in Russia, Romania, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. His ...
Jul 02, 2023•38 min
Soilborne disease and root health in cereals and pulses often doesn't get the attention it deserves because it's quite literally out of sight, out of mind. In this podcast, researchers Blake Gontar and Dr Liz Farquharson of the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the research division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions in South Australia, share their insight on identifying and managing soilborne diseases in cereals and pulses. They’re involved in a serie...
Jun 27, 2023•11 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Tanja Morgan. Twenty years ago, Tanja took up a job in the Mallee for a better work opportunity but was ‘devastated’ to move to the area. However, the place grew on her and farming in the Mallee has since become a large part of her life. She’s even moved further away from the big smoke residing in the little town of Geranium where she is a dog trainer, farmer and communicator. With an optimistic outlook on life and a refreshing approac...
Jun 25, 2023•35 min
GRDC, the Irrigated Cropping Council and the NSW Department of Primary Industries have teamed up to explore the influence of soil amelioration and soil amendments on crop yield and profitability in irrigated farming systems. So far there have been mixed results from the project which aims to give growers an understanding of the costs and benefits of deep ripping on sodic soils. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Irrigated Cropping Council Damian Jones damian.jones@irrigatedcroppin...
Jun 20, 2023•10 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Professor Andrew Barr. Andy is a valued SA local and well-known across the grains industry. He joins us to talk about his childhood memories on a mixed farm, where he developed a love for innovation, inspiring him to study agricultural science that led to a 30-year career in plant breeding. Andy shares his experiences of travelling the world and supporting grains research-for-development across some of the most interesting parts of the...
Jun 18, 2023•38 min
The southern region is experiencing its worst season of slug infestation. GRDC is so aware of the problems growers are having with slugs, that it currently has a tender out to invest further in slug research. Meantime we catch up with agronomist, Tim Pohlner and invertebrate ecologist, Dr Michael Nash to discuss trouble shooting the problem now and in future seasons. Download the transcript for this episode Contact : Dr Michael Nash Invertebrate Ecologist whatbugsyou@gmail.com More Information :...
Jun 13, 2023•14 min
🎙️ Terry is the chair of Grains Australia Limited and this year was presented with a GRDC Seed of Gold award. In this episode, Terry talks about his passion for agriculture and how he started his career in the 1970s in Mount Barker, WA. Despite challenges like the collapse of the wool industry, Terry and his peers persevered, transitioning to grain and livestock. He shares his insights into WA’s Great Southern region, such as its Mediterranean climate and its reliance on winter rainfall for dry...
Jun 12, 2023•30 min
Camilla Plunkett attends a demonstration day at Dalyup, WA to look at the latest in tile ploughing, a solution being used in the GRDC investment trial exploring sub-surface drainage ROI. Project officer Sophie Willsher from South Coast Natural Resource Management and grower, Rohan Marold discuss all things sub-surface drainage, including a ‘how to’ for growers; and the challenges and rewards of this method. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Sophie Willsher, South Coast Natural Re...
Jun 06, 2023•10 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dr Kevin Moore. A renowned plant pathologist, Kevin was recognised in 2023 with GRDC's highest accolade - a Seed of Gold award - for his work in crop protection. His extensive 55-year career has had long-lasting effects on the grains industry, with his research outcomes and pulse disease management strategies still actively used by fellow researchers and growers to improve profitability to this day. GRDC Project Code: HOA2202-001SAX Le...
Jun 04, 2023•22 min
Deborah Bishop finds out about the latest in canola genetics from CSIRO’s Dr Matt Nelson. Dr Nelson gives an insight into the GRDC invested genetics project exploring the key genetic traits contributing to successful canola establishment. The project also aims to provide canola breeders with improved genetics from overseas varieties and selection tools to accelerate the breeding of varieties with better establishment potential. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Dr Matthew Nelson ...
May 30, 2023•10 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dan Bingham. Dan runs a large-scale contracting and farming business Bingham Agriculture, from his home base in Skipton, Victoria. He loves the balance of the contracting and farming, lights up when he talks about supporting young people enter the industry and get their start, and says it's the "happy faces and good crops" that are his inspiration. GRDC Project Code: HOA2202-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
May 28, 2023•33 min
Sarah Sanderson catches up with Tom De Mattia, from Delta Ag and learns about the 3000km GRDC funded study tour which took a group of growers and advisors from Wagga Wagga NSW to Esperance WA to learn about the similarities and differences in management strategies for each area and highlight the ‘peer-learning’ approach of growers learning from growers. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Tom De Mattia Delta Ag tdemattia@deltaag.com.au Project Code: DEL2206-002AWX Learn more about ...
May 23, 2023•12 min
🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dr Cassandra Schefe. In the Forbes RSL using coasters and the RSL carpet as a reference, Cassie and two big names in agricultural sustainability came up with the idea for the Cool Soil Initiative, which now supports farmers explore practices to improve soil health. It's no surprise she brought such an idea to life, she grew up around farming and found a love for science and soils early on in her career and now runs her consultancy Agri...
May 21, 2023•53 min
Deborah Bishop interviews Mechelle Owen from AHRI, Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative about herbicide resistance in weed species in Western Australia and the data collected from the GRDC funded survey conducted during the 2020 harvest. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Mechelle Owen AHRI, University of WA mechelle.owen@uwa.edu.au More Information: GRDC Podcast – Annual ryegrass resistance to pre-emergent herbicides snapshot Project Code: UCS2008-001RTX Learn more about yo...
May 16, 2023•8 min
Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with David "DJ" Jochinke. DJ is the vice president of the National Farmers’ Federation, third generation grain and livestock farmer and an incredibly passionate advocate for the agriculture industry. This conversation feels like one motivational pep talk and we hear all about his education journey, why he cares so much about the work he does and the incident that inspired him to live life to the fullest. GRDC in Conversation is a limited series...
May 14, 2023•34 min
Deborah Bishop catches up with Dr Lizzy Lowe from Cesar Australia to discuss redlegged earth mite resistance and the surveillance measures being taken to develop up to date management recommendations and help with maintaining the effectiveness of current chemical control options. Download the transcript for this episode Contact Lizzy Lowe Cesar Australia llowe@cesaraustralia.com More Information GroundCover article – Growers urged to test redlegged earth mite for resistance GRDC Factsheet – Resi...
May 09, 2023•13 min
Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Ann McNeill. A semi-retired soil scientist Ann started life in the UK, spent time in Syria working in dryland agriculture, and landed in Australia where she’s done a lot of work and research with farmers to help improve their crops. She has fascinating stories about research, her pathway into academia and the love she found along the way – have you ever gone for the same job as your partner? Ann has... and it’s interesting to hear how she ...
May 07, 2023•55 min
Darryl Anderson comes live from Showcase Day at the Agtech and Logistics Hub in Toowoomba, Queensland. Darryl speaks with Agtech coordinator, Thomas Hall about the innovation behind some of the most current, up and coming products and services in agriculture and also catches up with participants from this year’s GroundUp, agribusiness accelerator program. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Thomas Hall Agtech and Logistics Hub thomas.hall@agrifoodconnect.com.au More information: GR...
May 02, 2023•15 min
Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Lou Flohr. Lou is a mixed cropping and livestock farmer running her enterprise alongside her parents and partner in Lameroo in the Southern Mallee of South Australia. With three young children, family is a huge part of Lou’s life, as is her commitment to ensuring women are represented in the ag sector and support for them encouraged. She is a member of the GRDC Southern Panel and deeply cares about agriculture and the people in it. She is ...
Apr 30, 2023•49 min
Darryl Anderson interviews Professor Mike Bell and Dr David Lester to find out about GRDC’s $11.9 million investment into predicting nitrogen cycles and losses in Australian cropping systems. This video looks into the use of the APSIM farming system simulation model which measures the nitrogen cycle; and how this GRDC trial is looking to create a national data set of nitrogen loss across all regions of Australia. Download the transcript for this episode Contact: Professor Mike Bell University of...
Apr 25, 2023•18 min
Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Harm van Rees. Harm’s story starts in the Netherlands where he was raised until he was 14. Then his father got an engineering job in Australia, bringing the family with him. When his dad got another job back in the UK, Harm was not ready to leave. He studied science and biochemistry which took him all around the world, and when he got back to Australia, he headed to Victoria’s high country to study cattle grazing, but that’s only the begin...
Apr 23, 2023•56 min
