GRDC Podcast

Triple threat – the three-pronged approach to tackling weeds

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been common practise across the southern grain growing region to wait for opening rains, before applying a knockdown herbicide, then seeding th...

Fungicide risk factors with Dr Steven Simpfendorfer

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While farmers typically spray fungicide to manage one disease, applications should be considered in a broader context. Dr Steven Simpfendorfer describ...

Rising interest in sub-surface drainage

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The start of 2021 has seen widespread waterlogging in the Great Southern and Esperance regions. Sub-surface drainage, one of many water management op...

The seedbank life of emerging problem weeds

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The seedbank is the link between the current weed populations and future infestations. While the seedbank life is well understood for major weed speci...

Nutrient management for lateritic gravel soils

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Western Australia’s South West agricultural zone there are 3 million hectares of lateritic gravels or ironstone gravel soils. These are sandy soi...

Non-wetting soils and surfactants

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Western Australian Ag Research Company TrialCo signed on with GRDC to run a trial on non-wetting sandy soils in low rainfall country the last thi...

New knowledge on ironstone gravel soils

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Innovative lab technology has helped uncover new information on the water and nutrient use efficiency of ironstone gravel soils. It's a first for the ...

Fungicide resistance in canola crops with Dr Steve Marcroft

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Generous rain and high prices have increased the economic risk from Sclerotinia and blackleg of canola this season. Dr Steve Marcroft outlines the ver...

Non-chemical strategies to reduce disease pressure with Dr Tara Garrard

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The ‘Fungicide Resistance Five’ is the basis for an integrated disease management strategy that growers can use on-farm to reduce fungicide resist...

Strategic fungicide application with Nick Poole

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The ‘Fungicide Resistance Five’ is the basis for an integrated disease management strategy that growers can use on-farm to reduce fungicide resist...

Fungicide/Mode of Action rotation and mixtures with Fran Lopez-Ruiz

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The ‘Fungicide Resistance Five’ is the basis for an integrated disease management strategy that growers can use on-farm to reduce fungicide resist...

The value of crop rotation with Geoff Thomas

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The ‘Fungicide Resistance Five’ is the basis for an integrated disease management strategy that growers can use on-farm to reduce fungicide resist...

Avoiding susceptible crop varieties with Grant Hollaway

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The ‘Fungicide Resistance Five’ is the basis for an integrated disease management strategy that growers can use on-farm to reduce fungicide resist...

General fungicide resistance management with Dr Kylie Ireland

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The ‘Fungicide Resistance Five’ is the basis for an integrated disease management strategy that growers can use on-farm to reduce fungicide resist...

Fungicide resistance in the north

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Fungicide resistance in the south

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

South Australian grain growers have been alerted to several cases of fungicide resistance in recent growing seasons, including in net form net blotch ...

Fungicide resistance in the west

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Western Australia, outbreaks of fungicide resistance have occurred in several important diseases of barley. Resistance is a significant but prevent...

Measuring the impact of disease on yield

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some ground breaking research has resulted in a breakthrough for growers and agronomists wanting to measure the potential impact of disease on yield. ...

Stripper fronts – time saving, fuel saving and moisture saving

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Eroded top soil

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Machine learning investments

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The GRDC has for the first time committed to a multi-million-dollar global investment into dedicated research programs to address crop production cons...

Accessing trial data – It’s never been easier

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Stubble management in a changing climate

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Changing rainfall patterns in the drier parts of the western region have prompted a rethink of strategies for grower Clint Della Bosca. On this podc...

Plant available water capacity

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Plant Available Water, is key to determining potential crop yield. It’s also the basis for sowing decisions and fertiliser applications. Many things...

Mouse management pre-sowing

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Barley foliar pathogens - the global search for resistance (part 2)

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

New research is harnessing advanced computer capabilities and artificial intelligence to fast-track the development of new barley varieties with impro...

Barley Foliar Pathogens - The Global Search For Resistance (part 1)

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Foliar diseases are a major constraint to profitable barley production across Australia, affecting both yield and quality. In this podcast, senior pla...

INVITA – Innovations in plant testing in Australia

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Growers are set to get better variety recommendations faster through a new GRDC investment, INVITA, which is adding value to the National Variety Tria...

Summer Weed Survey WA

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Until now, only limited information has been available about in-paddock summer weed distribution and abundance in Western Australia. However, a two-ye...

Golden rules for growing canola in Western Australia’s low rainfall zones

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A new GRDC publication containing the latest research into canola production in Western Australia’s low rainfall zones is now available. This detail...

The Social Dimension Of Insecticide Resistance And IPM

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s ongoing reliance on a limited range of chemicals has set a concerning trajectory for insecticide resistance. Integrated pest management ...

Managing in the face of resistance - Green Peach Aphid & Turnip Yellows Virus

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At the December 2020 Crop Protection Forum in Perth, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development research scientist Ben Congdon spoke ab...

Optimising Herbicide Use And Minimising Weed Resistance

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Roberto Busi from the GRDC-supported Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative is working on the use of herbicide mixes as a powerful tool to combat ...

Big plot trials need careful analysis

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many decisions growers make are the result of trials undertaken to test any number of variables. These small plot trials are replicated and the result...

Calcareous Soils Investment Welcomed

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 la...

Calcareous Soils Initiative

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 calciu...

Retaining stubble in a high rainfall environment

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Conserving stubble conserves moisture

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stubble retention is practiced by farmers across the western cropping region for a variety of reasons. A special series of GRDC/West Australian No Til...

New pasture legumes overcome old barriers

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For the past three years, researchers in Western Australia have been trialling innovative new pasture legume species suited to low to medium rainfall ...

Fitting stubble into your system pays

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The extraordinarily high winds experienced by growers around Geraldton in May 2020 emphasised the importance of retaining stubble as a means of protec...

How to test for dispersive soil

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 pr...

Rethinking fertiliser toxicity

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes calculating fertiliser toxicity risk in the paddock, the tools and resources available to growers haven’t really changed over the past...

Farming in the digital age

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Agricultural technology has a long way to go. That was the message mixed enterprise farmer and Nuffield scholar Andrew Slade delivered to those attend...

The weeds are evolving – annual ryegrass and wild radish

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 contr...

Improving your soil by the book

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“The next wave of productivity improvements will come from … the soil itself.” That’s a quotation from a valuable online resource for grower...

Driving profit through supporting good mental health

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Even though consultants haven’t traditionally seen discussions with growers about stress management and mental health as part of their role it actua...

Rhizoctonia identification and management

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rhizoctonia will cause yield losses especially where cereal crops have had a dry finish, but because this disease doesn’t like moist soils, those gr...

Soil Wetter And Seeder Strategies For Non - Wetting Sands

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An estimated 12.5 million hectares of sandy soils in southern and Western Australia are deemed at moderate and high risks of water repellence. In this...

New pulse disease ratings clarify definitions

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We all look for disease ratings when selecting a variety. Is it moderately resistant (MR) or moderately susceptible (MS)? What do MR and MS and all of...

Optimal Flower Periods And Climate Change

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A key consideration when growing a cereal grain crop such as wheat is knowing a variety’s Optimal flowering period. With that knowledge sowing tim...

Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Accessing the latest information on fungicide resistance has never been easier – thanks to the newly established Australian Fungicide Resistance Ext...

Frost Damage ID In Canola

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Frost damage to Canola is a significant annual issue for the nation’s grains industry. Spring frosts in particular are the most economically damagin...

On farm quality measurement for pulses

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A missing link will soon be added to the pulse chain. A new and quite simple way of measuring the quality of pulses on farm is being developed that ha...

SDHI Resistance Discovered In SFNB Of Barley In WA

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Western Australian growers are urged to be on alert following the discovery of succinate dehydrogenase (SDHI, Group 7) resistance in spot form of net ...

Nutrient loss from hay cutting

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Deciding on what portion of your winter cereal crop will be cut for hay, can be a complex decision. One important factor is the amount of nutrient tha...

Spot Form Net Blotch Fact Sheets now available

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Spot Form Net Blotch is the most common foliar disease of barley in Australia and given the right season, it can cause significant losses. A new fact ...

Alternative winter and summer legume crops tested for Southern Region

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A summer rainstorm can restore your soil moisture profile after harvest, but it could also deliver enough of the wet stuff to grow a summer crop. On t...

The Lowdown On Subsurface Acidity

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to managing subsurface acidity, the message is clear - it’s much better to prevent subsurface acidity than it is to treat it. Across A...

On-farm Chemical Safety A Grower's Management Approach

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Western Australian grain grower Duncan Young farms at Beverley in the west of the State’s central wheatbelt. Duncan is a well-respected grower and i...

On-Farm Chemical Safety Legislation And Compliance

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The farm is one of Australia’s most dangerous workplaces. According to year-to-date figures from Safe Work Australia, which compiles data on work-re...

Step by step guide to Precision Agriculture

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A new resource for grain growers called Profit from Precision Agriculture offer grain growers an easy to follow step by step approach to adopting PA. ...

Sky Is The Limit For New Pest And Pathogen Sampling Technology

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The five-year iMapPESTS project is using the latest in-field technology to rapidly and accurately monitor and report on airborne pests and pathogens. ...

Cover cropping works in the US, but can it work in the Australian environment

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

They say travel broadens the horizons and that was certainly the case when Riverine soil scientist Cassandra Schefe visited North America to look at f...

New Root Lesion Nematode Factsheets now available

12 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Knowledge gained from six years of research on root lesion nematodes has been compiled into easy to read region specific fact sheets. Growers and advi...

Hyper Yielding Crops Initiative

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The national Hyper Yielding Crops initiative is the GRDC’s new investment to push crop yield boundaries in high yield potential grain-growing enviro...

Good guidance on in-crop nitrogen application in 2020

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Delivering nitrogen to your crop is one of the more difficult decisions you make each year. Have you supplied enough, or have you supplied too much. T...

Optimising Cereal Grain Yield

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Between 2017 and 2019 strategically placed wheat trials, located as far north as Central Queensland down to the Riverina region of NSW delivered data ...

Inter-row cropping under the microscope in the Southern Region (Part 2)

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A GRDC investment could see growers in the southern region growing crops like wheat and canola and even peas in the same paddock at the same time. Int...

Tactical Nitrogen Agronomy

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New research into Nitrogen applications as part of the Tactical Wheat Agronomy for the West project could challenge the way the industry thinks about ...

Inter-row cropping under the microscope in the Southern Region (Part 1)

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s radical. It certainly looks different. But the potential benefits could be enormous. It’s called intercropping – growing two or more crops ...

Rhizoctonia in 2020

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rhizoctonia is a fungal disease that’s causing some concern to growers in the Southern and Western regions. On this podcast we speak to SARDI scient...

Yield losses from red leather leaf in oats

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Yield losses from Red Leather Leaf in Oats could be significantly higher than growers have previously believed. One reason might be that the stubble b...

Push for yield increase of high value irrigated crops

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A five year GRDC investment aimed at boosting the yield of high value irrigated crops is entering its second year in southern NSW and Victoria. In thi...

Choosing The Best Pasture Legumes For Lower Rainfall Areas

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems (DLPS) project is evaluating a diverse range of annual pasture legumes on mixed farms in the low to medium rainfall...

Keep your critical window open longer

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Think of it as a new breath of fresh air for your crops. Keeping the critical growing window open longer will deliver you bigger yields. Professor Vic...

A Glimpse Into The Future For The WA Wheat Industry

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

By 2030 Asia’s demand for wheat will increase by a further 8 million tonnes and that offers Australia’s wheat industry real opportunities. Speakin...

Queensland soybean growers left puzzled by disease presence

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Farmers in northern Queensland were left perplexed and alarmed by damage done to soybean crops by fungal disease. Queensland Department of Agriculture...

Using all our tools for pest management: Green peach aphid

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Green peach aphid (GPA) has evolved resistance to a large number of insecticides globally, but a handy new resource is available to help Australian ca...

Using all our tools for pest management: Diamondback moth

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A new resource is available to help grain growers make proactive integrated pest management (IPM) decisions to control diamondback moth (DBM) in canol...

Using all our tools for pest management: Redlegged earth mite

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The overuse of insecticides and evolution of resistance in redlegged earth mite (RLEM) is a significant issue for southern and western grain growers. ...

Trials show yellow leaf spot can lead to significant yield losses

10 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There has been some conjecture in the grains industry as to whether Yellow Leaf Spot is simply a cosmetic disease that has little impact on yield and ...

Better chickpeas a wild idea

10 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The past can teach us many valuable lessons, particularly when it comes to nature. Scientists around the world are going back in time to capture valua...

Grazing crops is money in the bank

03 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New research by CSIRO has revealed that grazing crops can add up to $1000 per hectare to a farm’s bottom line. With high livestock prices, dual purp...

Septoria Tritici Blotch emerges once again

03 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Septoria Tritici Blotch has re-emerged as a disease that growers in the southern region should watch out for. Septoria Tritici Blotch is a foliar dise...

Soil Testing Plant Tissue Testing And Nutrition Budgeting

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding the amount of nitrogen already available in the soil prior to developing a nutrient budget will help growers to optimise yield and maxim...

Pre Sowing Tips For Soil Nutrition

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Zoning areas within a paddock depending on soil characteristics such as soil nutrition, soil type and performance can help growers make smarter fertil...

Shining The Spotlight On Yellow Sandplain Soils

27 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Goomalling grower Rob Dempster is confident the production potential from yellow sandplain soils on his family’s property can be “unlocked” to b...

Heightened risk of Ascochyta Blight in chickpeas in 2020

27 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Chickpea growers have been cautioned to recognise the potential for an increased risk of Ascochyta Blight in chickpeas in 2020. NSW DPI senior plant p...

Taking bugs out of the system

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Farming is a risky business. Some risks are in the lap of the gods, but some risks are well within your control – or at least until they get out of ...

Step change gains hoped for in new pulse research

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A new joint GRDC and Victorian Government investment is looking to identify step changes in the productivity of pulse crops in the southern region. Re...

Crop Responses From Tillage Tactics To Combat Soil Constraints

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A two-year research trail is underway to assess several strategic/deep tillage options to help Address sandplain soil constraints such as subsoil comp...

Hugh Beckie - new man at the weed resistance helm

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Meet the man who is leading the way to reducing the impact of herbicide resistance in Australia. Canadian, Hugh Beckie has a long history with herbici...

Maximum Residue Limits

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Given the changing nature of market regulations, all stakeholders along the supply chain need to be aware of market requirements in relation to MRLs. ...

Chemical regulation in European agriculture – a look at the impacts

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For a long time the European Union has been known as the home of tough regulation of farm chemicals. Several chemicals in common use in Australia are ...

Crown Rot Fact Sheets detail latest research findings

29 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New region specific fact sheets detailing the latest research into Crown Rot Fact Sheets are now available for farmers and their advisers. The fact ...

Becoming a trusted adviser

29 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The role of an agronomist is unique. At one end of the scale is simply working to sell a product, while at the other end of a scale is being a trusted...

Introduction and Pre Sowing Innoculation

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rhizobium is a tiny microbe with a big dollar impact. Ensuring this beneficial soil bacteria has an optimal effect requires a number of key conditions...

In Season Assessment

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An important role of pulse crops is nitrogen fixation, and key to that process are nodules – what are they and why do growers need to know more abou...

Dry Sowing

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dry sowing pulse crops is the norm rather than the exception today, however, maximising nitrogen fixation is dependent on a number of factors. Learn m...

Acid Soils

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rhizobia are microbes that play an important role in nitrogen fixation in pasture and pulse legumes, but acid soils can have a big impact on the succe...