GRDC Podcast

The latest and greatest machinery for growers at Live Demo Days

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While new innovations in farming technology and machinery offer growers incredible increases to productivity and profitability, many of these innovati...

GRDC in Conversation: Ben White

03 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

More about this podcast  In this episode of the GRDC In Conversation podcast, Oli Le Lievre sits down with Ben White, a highly respected agricultural...

Long coleoptile - Disease interaction and deep sowing

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Long coleoptile wheat varieties have the potential to deliver increased yield and therefore profit to Australian growers. That’s why GRDC is investi...

NVT new variety series – Lentil, Field Pea and Lupin

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) new Variety Podcast series gives breeding companies the microphone to share their new releases for the 2025...

Legume Leaders – Jason Batten: Growing vetch on high pH soils

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At Yuna, in Western Australia’s northern growing region, Jason Batten started growing vetch about three years ago, and so far, he’s been impressed...

NVT new variety series – Wheat

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) new Variety Podcast series gives breeding companies the microphone to share their new releases for the 2025...

Dongara Weevil – A newly named pest in WA's northern grainbelt

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since 2013, an unidentified weevil has been reported by growers and advisers to be repeatedly causing damage to canola crops in localised areas of Don...

NVT new variety series – Canola

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) new Variety Podcast series gives breeding companies the microphone to share their new releases for the 2025...

Rethinking applied N for irrigated maize

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Assisting growers to work smarter with their inputs to increase profitability is the focus of many GRDC investments. Recently, Australian maize grower...

NVT new variety series – Sorghum, Barley and Oats

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) new Variety Podcast series gives breeding companies the microphone to share their new releases for the 2025...

Recovering from frost

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Widespread frosts on top of a very dry season mean that southern growers are having to make some tough decisions. We speak to consulting agronomist, M...

GRDC in Conversation: Belinda Cay

29 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Belinda Cay.  Belinda Cay is an experienced agricultural communicator. Across her career she...

Tools for tackling blackleg of canola: AFREN - fungicide resistance management strategies for blackleg of canola.

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Blackleg is the most serious disease in Australian canola, and while fungicides are commonly used to help manage this disease, there are concerns that...

GRDC In Conversation: Ross Kingwell

22 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Ross Kingwell   Ross Kingwell has had a long and distinguished career as an agricultural ec...

Legume Leaders – Neil Smith: Lessons learned about chickpeas

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Neil Smith farms at Merredin in Western Australia and after dabbling in chickpeas in the early 2000s, he has now been growing the crop continuously fo...

GRDC In Conversation: Ben Single

15 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Ben Single  Ben Single, founder of Single Ag, discusses his journey from studying ae...

Precision Ag in Practice: Boardman Agriculture – applying electromagnetic mapping

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shane Boardman and his family moved from Victoria to northern New South Wales in the late eighties. Not long after their move, they started dabbling i...

GRDC In Conversation: Loretta Serafin

08 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Loretta Serafin  Loretta Serafin is a research agronomist with the New South Wales D...

Making decisions about spot form net blotch in barley in WA's low rainfall zone

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Instances of spot form net blotch in barley crops across the low rainfall zones of Western Australia have been increasing in recent years, mainly due ...

GRDC In Conversation: Jan Edwards

01 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Jan Edwards  Jan Edwards is the Director of Agronomy and Ideation at Incitec Pivot F...

Precision Ag in Practice: Mike Smith – Letting data do the work

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Variable rate technology falls under the umbrella of precision agriculture and it includes a range of tools that are not only becoming commonplace, bu...

GRDC In Conversation: Tom and Melissa Andrews

25 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Tom and Melissa Andrews  Tom and Melissa Andrews, founders of Connected Farms, discu...

Legume Leaders – Mark Preston: Using faba beans to help with disease control

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wanting to incorporate more legumes into the rotation, West Cranbrook grower Mark Preston has found faba beans were suited to more soil types on his f...

GRDC in Conversation: Maurice Hayes

18 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙 Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Maurice Hayes. Maurice Hayes pioneered a lot of spray machinery and was involved in the ...

Finding the future in the present

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What images or themes come to mind when you think Australian agriculture in 10…20….50 years’ time?   In this podcast Futurist at Work Futures,...

GRDC in Conversation: Georgie Pengilley

11 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Agriculture and plants have been ingrained in Georgie Pengilley’s life since the beginning on a farm in Tasmania. In this GRDC In Conversation episo...

Soybean success

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Australian soybean industry has received a boost with a new online soybean manual and a series of workshops. The initiatives are part of GRDC’s ...

GRDC in Conversation: John Woods

04 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with John Woods.  John is a business owner and farmer at his home property ‘Booroola’ in ...

Everything you want to know about crop protection products and GRDC

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

GRDC invests in many different approaches to the control of weeds, pests and diseases, including crop protection products.  The world of chemical reg...

Legume Leaders – Peter Daw: growing field peas for profit

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At Ravensthorpe in Western Australia, about 200km west of Esperance, field peas seem to grow well on the high pH, high clay content soils of Peter Daw...

Long coleoptile – Going to great depths to avoid rhizoctonia

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New research insights suggest that deep sown long coleoptile wheat (LCW) varieties is an effective way to avoid rhizoctonia infection.  It’s one of...

Emerging leader – Jana Freebairn

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The GRDC Emerging Leader Award recognises the commitment of a professional with less than ten years’ experience in the grains industry. At the Adela...

Sowing conventional wheat deep

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the 2024 growing season, some Western Australian growers are chasing moisture deeper than ever before, by successfully planting conventional wheat...

Legume Leaders – Ed Naisbitt: getting the most from your lupin crop

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the Lake Grace area, grower Ed Naisbitt has been growing lupins on the family farm for 40 years. It was a crop initially established by his father,...

Why the long coleoptile?

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Long coleoptile wheat (LCW) varieties are proving to be a good insurance policy to ensure emergence in ameliorated soil.   This is one of the many p...

Regenerative – it’s just a word

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Does the term 'regenerative agriculture' make you want to high-five the farmer next to you, or send you running for the hills? In this week's podcast ...

GRDC in Conversation: Steve Madden

09 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Steve Madden  Steve Madden has over 30 years experience as an agronomist and is the ...

Emerging leader – Robert Harrison

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The GRDC Emerging Leader Award recognises the commitment of a professional with less than ten years’ experience in the grains industry. At the Perth...

GRDC in Conversation: Tony Lockrey

02 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Tony Lockrey Tony Lockrey is both a farmer and agronomist based in the farming commun...

Improving input use – a case study with James Venning and Andrew Sargent

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Precision agriculture has been around for a while and it's meant to make a difference for the better, but does it always? In this episode we’re join...

GRDC in Conversation: John Hamparsum

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with John Hamparsum   John Hamparsum farms on black soil plains near Gunnedah, New South...

Surveillance, flies and snails: new technologies for snail monitoring and control

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Research into snails over the past decade has largely focussed on baiting and while a lot has been learned, baiting is only one part of an effective i...

GRDC In Conversation: Matthew Durack

19 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Matthew Durack Matthew Durack started his career as a Veterinarian, but always wanted...

Maximising the profitability of fallow

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What are the reasons to use fallow in rotations and just what is the economic value of this farming practice? These are just some of the questions ask...

GRDC in Conversation: Ben Taylor

12 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Ben taylor.   Ben Taylor returned to the family farm near Condamine in 2000. They o...

Risks of pre-emergent herbicide degradation when dry sowing

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a dry start to Western Australia's 2024 growing season. It's a prediction that’s seeing many growers kick i...

GRDC in Conversation: Stuart and Lyndall Tighe

05 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Stuart and Lyndall Tighe Stuart and Lyndall Tighe found home farming in Moree, New So...

Legume Leaders – Introduction: benefits and constraints to the adoption of grain legumes

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A cohort of Legume Leaders has been established by the Grower Group Alliance in Western Australia, with investment from GRDC and the help of grower gr...

GRDC in Conversation: Greg Rummery

28 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Greg Rummary  Greg Rummery is an agronomist at Walgett, New South Wales. He has 30+ ...

Late sowing of cereals due to waterlogging

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Autumn and Winter waterlogging is relatively common in WA’s Albany and Esperance port zones, but it can severely impact grain production. But new re...

GRDC in Conversation: Tom Coggan

21 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Tom Coggan. Tom Coggan is a fifth-generation farmer at Meandarra, Queensland, with in...

Carbendazim use and its alternatives

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Carbendazim is a broad spectrum fungicide used to control a range of diseases on pulses. But as a schedule 7 chemical with restrictions on its use, th...

GRDC in Conversation: Anna Madden

14 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Anna Madden. Anna Madden and her husband Steve own and operate an irrigated farm in W...

Boosting soil productivity using the Australian Synchrotron

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne is a super high-tech operation that produces powerful beams of light a million times brighter than the sun. In...

Adapting technology with bots – a case study with WA grower Brad Jones

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tammin grower was an early adapter of the SwarmBot technology from SwarmFarm. GRDC’s GrainInnovate program has played a key role in supporting Swarm...

Fall armyworm insights for when the season feels unmanageable

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This summer has seen high numbers of fall armyworm (FAW) across Queensland and Northern New South Wales. In some late sown crops, FAW has had a disast...

Integrated management strategies for net form of net blotch

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Net form of net blotch is an important foliar fungal disease of barley and its impact on yield and decreased profitability has prompted a new GRDC co-...

Raising the bar on crop nutrition

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Raising the bar on crop nutrition in northern New South Wales is the aim of a new partnership between Outlook Ag and GRDC. Field trials have been esta...

Managing green peach aphids and the emerging turnip yellows virus risk in canola

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 2024 and we’re looking at similar conditions across a wide portion of the country, particularly in Victoria and South Australia. There is en...

AFREN podcast series – The why and how of rotating fungicides to minimise the risk of resistance

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, Associate Professor Fran Lopez, Program Leader for Fungicide Resistance Management and Disease Impacts at the Centre for Crop and Dis...

Acid soil management – 5cm rule for soil pH testing

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While previous acid soil testing practice was to not test as deep, new research, has identified greater acidic layering, where crop roots remain under...

AFREN podcast series – Mung bean powdery mildew; fungicide sensitivities and management for Queensland growers (2/3)

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, University of Southern Queensland’s Centre for Crop Health Director Professor Levente Kiss talks about the challenges of managing p...

Getting the most out of deep ripping

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Deep ripping is an expensive investment and a slow process, so it’s important to do it right the first time. Whether a grower is a first time or lon...

AFREN podcast series – Rusts and managing rusts with fungicides (1/3)

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, Professor Robert Park, University of Sydney, talks about rusts and managing rusts with fungicides. Until now, there have been very fe...

2023 Emerging Leader for the Northern Region: Mathew Dunn

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

GRDC's Emerging Leader Award for the Northern Region in 2023 was taken home by established research agronomist Mathew Dunn. Mathew has been working as...

National Grower Network Forums – have your say

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

GRDC's National Grower Network Forums or NGNs provide opportunities for growers to meet and inform GRDC face-to-face about issues, constraints or rese...

Ameliorating sandy soils to increase production

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dealing with sandy soils has long been the bane of many grain growers. But a six-year GRDC investment in sandy soil amelioration in the southern regio...

Longevity benefits after soil amelioration

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Almost six million hectares of WA's sand-plain soils in the medium and high-rainfall zones feature multiple constraints, including water repellence, a...

Behavioural insights and motivations into spraying

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A GRDC investment focused on grower decision making for summer spraying has revealed several insights into the behaviours that motivate different spra...

Rutherglen bug: risk forecasting and management 

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Although it may be native to the northern region, the Rutherglen bug has, in recent years, changed its behaviour and its diet has expanded. It can now...

Measuring the impact of organic soil ameliorants

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Incorporating readily available organic-soil ameliorants to boost productivity of sandy soils, has been the focus of a three-year GRDC investment in t...

Genetic gains in wheat

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A trial near Bolgart in WA is showcasing historic wheat varieties, allowing growers to look back in time to measure yield and genetic gains that wheat...

GRDC in Conversation: David Robb

10 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with David Robb. David Anthony Robb is an Irrigation Advisor for Goanna Ag. He is also a g...

On-farm Grain Storage podcast series – Silo maintenance (3/3)

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gas-tight sealable silos are the preferred system of grain storage and like all on-farm machinery, they require an annual maintenance health check, in...

GRDC in conversation: Paul McIntosh

03 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

🎙 Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Paul McIntosh.  Mention the name Paul McIntosh to anyone in the northern grains industr...

On-farm Grain Storage podcast series – Masks and meters (2/3)

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Phosphine fumigation is commonly used in gas-tight, sealed silos to control weevils in grain. While phosphine is dangerous, it can be used safely with...

GRDC in conversation: Mark Swift

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Mark Swift. Mark Swift and his family farm 13 different cereal, oilseed, pulse and f...

National Variety Trials (NVT) New Variety Podcast series – Canola

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The NVT program aims to assist Australian grain growers in varietal decision making by providing comparative information of commercially available gra...

On-farm Grain Storage podcast series – Storage and aeration (1/3)

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From cone and flat-bottomed silos, to sheds, bunkers, bags, and pits, grain storage options today are seemingly endless. It is not always the case tha...

GRDC in conversation: Maree Crawford

19 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Maree Crawford is a passionate contributor to the Australian agricultural industry with a focus on delivering solutions through research, technology a...

National Variety Trials (NVT) New Variety podcast series – Barley and Oats

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The NVT program aims to assist Australian grain growers in varietal decision making by providing comparative information of commercially available gra...

Preventing harvester fires in lentils

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With growers in the middle of harvest around the country, harvester fires are somewhat inevitable at this time of year. However, there are actions we ...

GRDC in conversation: Tim Neale

12 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Tim Neale. For more than 20 years, Tim Neale has been running his own businesses and...

National Variety Trials (NVT) New Variety podcast series – Lentil, lupin and sorghum

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The NVT program aims to assist Australian grain growers in varietal decision making by providing comparative information of commercially available gra...

The Australian Grains Genebank

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) is the centrepiece of grain crop genetic resources for the Australian grains industry. Since it's opening in 2014...

GRDC in conversation: Roy Hamilton

05 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Roy Hamilton. Roy is a long-standing northern panel member who operates a 4400-ha mi...

National Variety Trials (NVT) New Variety podcast series – Wheat

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The NVT program aims to assist Australian grain growers in varietal decision making by providing comparative information of commercially available gra...

Beneficials Chemical Toxicity table: Use it or lose ‘em

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Beneficial insects play an important role in providing natural pest suppression for growers in cereal crops across Australia. Until recently there was...

Implementing variable rate technology on-farm

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Longmire’s farm at Beaumont, near Esperance in Western Australia, have been experimenting with variable rate technology for more than 20 years. ...

Plant Nutrition: the final Soil Quality ebook

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Soil Quality ebook series, developed by SoilsWest with GRDC investment, draws upon a wealth of scientific published information, knowledge from de...

Precision fertiliser decisions in a tight economic climate

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The price of fertiliser has reached record highs over the past few seasons, so any option to reduce the amount of inputs being used on-farm, without i...

Natural enemies: beneficials, insect friends with benefits

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The second tier of the Australian Grains Pest Innovation Program (AGPIP) looks at beneficial insects in Australian grain crops as an alternate pest co...

Impact of investment on Australia’s lentil industry

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join Dr Arun Shanmugam and Dr Gary Rosewarne from Agriculture Victoria as they discuss the impact of GRDC’s investment on the Australian Lentil Indu...

Managing changing MRLs and export implications

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Growers at the GRDC Grains Research Updates at Minyip in Victoria in July 2023 were told by Gerard McMullen from the National Working Party on Gra...

Data Partnerships Initiative

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A virtual goldmine of data generated from thousands of research, development and extension projects – all supported by GRDC – will soon be discove...

Emerging cereal diseases in the south, with a focus on Septoria Tritici Blotch (STB)

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Spring is a critical time for disease detection in order to avoid or at least minimise yield losses; and already we are seeing higher infection levels...

Seasonal diseases update for canola and pulses: Northern region

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Plant pathologist, Kurt Lindbeck from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI) at Wagga Wagga, discusses the challenges for growers ...

Measuring and preventing harvest losses in the western region

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Data recently collected as part of the GRDC investment "Measuring Harvest Losses in the western region," has helped to identify opportunities for grow...

Urea supply and nitrogen decision making

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join agricultural procurement specialist and speaker at a recent GRDC Farm Business Update Rob Dawes talk about the urea supply and how to prevent get...

Successfully establishing canola in Western Australia’s LRZ

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At GRDC Grower Network Forums in the Western region, the issue of poor canola establishment was raised by growers in the low rainfall zone who mainly ...