DIGGING DEEPER - AG CHATS WITH AL

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Biochar in Cropping Trials at Inverleigh with SFS and Soil CRC (with Cameron Barr)

In this Digging Deeper episode, Southern Farming Systems (SFS) research and extension officer Cameron Barr discusses a Soil CRC biochar project run with the University of Newcastle. SFS is hosting the field component at its Inverleigh trial site near Geelong (sandy loam, long-term continuous cropping, low soil organic carbon about 1–2%), alongside a parallel glasshouse/pot study in Newcastle, noting field trials show greater variability than controlled environments. The biosolids-derived biochar (from wastewater, supplied via Southeast Water) is produced by heating to very high temperatures, with potential goals including improving soil carbon and soil health and reducing PFAS risk. The two-year rotation trial uses replicated 6×2 m plots with biochar rates of 0, 5 and 12 t/ha and incorporation depths of 0–10 cm and 0–20 cm; year one wheat showed no statistically significant differences so far. Ongoing measurements include crop assessments plus end-of-project soil organic carbon, heavy metals and PFAS, with results to be shared via the University of Newcastle, Soil CRC and SFS.

00:00 Welcome and Credits

00:32 Meet Cameron Barr

01:40 How Trials Collaborate

02:55 Field vs Glasshouse

03:53 Biochar Basics

06:40 Inverleigh Trial Setup

09:04 Early Results and Testing

11:47 Costs and Practicality

13:20 Future Uses and Outlook

15:37 Where to Follow Updates

16:16 Thanks and Sign Off

00:00 Closing Credits

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Digging Deeper: Addressing Complex Soil Constraints, a Soil CRC project, with Lisa Miller

In this episode of Digging Deeper, Lisa Miller discusses why managing soil constraints is often harder than identifying them, emphasizing the need to assess the full soil profile and target the most production-limiting issues. Common constraints covered include acidity (treated with lime), sodicity and dispersion (often treated with gypsum), compaction, and dense clay subsoils where deep ripping alone can be a short-lived “band-aid.” She outlines Soil CRC findings from glasshouse and laboratory reconstructed soil profiles showing the largest plant performance gains when nitrogen and phosphorus are placed directly into constrained subsoil layers, triggering deeper root growth, increased microbial activity, improved aggregation, and nutrient cycling. Gypsum improved aggregation and reduced dispersion but provided limited yield benefits alone and could increase salinity; manures can also add salts. Miller shares trial results where lucerne pellets placed at depth outperformed deep-placed lime, likely due to nitrogen supply, and notes the importance of economics, funding, and locally relevant research.

More information onAddressing Soil Constraints can be found at the Soil CRC https://soilcrc.com.au/projects/addressing-complex-soil-constraints/

00:00 Thanks and Show Intro

00:34 Meet Lisa and Topic Setup

01:46 Why Soil Constraints Are Tricky

03:12 Common Constraints and Fixes

04:08 Deep Ripping on Clay

06:09 Soil CRC Nutrients at Depth

12:08 Gypsum Limits and Salts

13:37 Dispersion and Soil Structure

14:47 Deep Rooted Crops Strategy

16:10 Organic vs Synthetic Nutrients

18:45 Costs and Practicality

19:59 Acidity Trials Lime vs Pellets

22:02 Local Research and Funding

23:11 Career Advice and Wrap Up

25:34 Final Thanks and Credits

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Managing Soil for High Performance After a Drought with Lisa Miller

In this Digging Deeper episode recorded during Springfield Day, guest Lisa Miller shares her background from a beef farm near Seymour through nursing, roustabouting in 1989, and studying Agricultural Science at Melbourne University, then working with Landcare and the Department of Agriculture. The discussion focuses on managing soil for high performance after drought, emphasizing how soil type affects wetting-up and pasture establishment, with heavier clays taking longer and sometimes showing crusting or temporary water repellence. Lisa explains drought impacts on soil biology, including reduced arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi affecting phosphorus uptake, while noting common phosphorus carryover and a post-rain nitrogen flush. She also covers transient salinity in sodic soils, boron toxicity, and bicarbonate issues, advising patience before sowing and generally avoiding mechanical intervention in higher rainfall areas. Key recovery priorities include soil testing, appropriate fertiliser decisions, careful grazing timing, and whole-farm recovery planning.

00:00 Welcome and Credits

00:33 Meet Lisa Miller

01:06 Lisa’s Path into Ag

01:52 From Nursing to Ag Science

03:43 Drought Recovery Soils

04:06 Wetting Up and Repellence

08:18 Soil Biology and Phosphorus

11:57 Nitrogen Flush After Rain

13:35 Salinity and Ion Buildup

14:59 Sowing Timing and Tillage

17:49 Priorities on a Tight Budget

19:11 Grazing Recovery and Risks

21:29 Whole Farm Recovery Planning

22:39 Season Update Southwest Vic

23:57 Surprising Learnings and Wrap

25:56 Closing Thanks and Sponsors

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Visualizing Australia’s Soil: Making Soil Data Findable, Trusted and Useful

In this remote Digging Deeper podcast, host Alister speaks with Pete, a principal research fellow at Federation University’s Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation, about the Visualizing Australia’s Soil (VAS) project funded through the Soil CRC. Pete explains that vast amounts of soil data exist in government legacy reports and private collections from farmer groups and service providers, but are often lost, inaccessible, or hidden; VAS creates a map-based portal and metadata catalogue to make data findable and, where permitted, accessible. The project standardizes datasets using the international Observations and Measurements standard to enable interoperability with systems like the Australian National Soil Information System and supports FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable). They discuss the need for trusted data for AI, benchmarking, liming decisions, long-term paddock trends, soil moisture probe records, stewardship certification, and emerging “data spaces,” while noting social trust and privacy concerns as key challenges. Listeners can access the portal via the Soil CRC website.

00:00 Welcome and Credits

00:32 Meet Pete and Background

01:11 From Geology to Soils

02:58 What Is VASS

05:41 Public vs Private Soil Data

09:14 Standardizing and Sharing Data

10:51 AI and Trusted Evidence

13:23 Data Spaces and Accuracy

16:14 On Farm Decision Examples

19:26 FAIR Data Principles

22:37 Future of VASS and Access

25:04 Social Side of Data Sharing

27:03 Wrap Up and Thanks

00:00 Closing Credits

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Every Decision Counts: Tom Cosentino on Stacking Farm Enterprises and Knowing Your Numbers

Host Alister Micallif welcomes Tom Cosentino, a South Australian farmer from Hindmarsh Valley near the Murray Mouth, who runs dryland beef cows and is adding 1,000 laying hens in October while managing bird flu risk through planning, water treatment, and adaptable infrastructure. Speaking at Gippsland’s Red Meat Conference themed “every decision counts,” Tom reframes a $100,000 investment discussion toward larger, multi-enterprise strategies to lift dollars per hectare, including vertical integration under his brand Hindmarsh Valley Eggs and adding solar and battery power to support on-farm egg grading and packing. Drawing on his background in tax accounting and insolvency, he shares three tips: write a 10-year business plan to guide decisions and attract funding, do tax planning in near real time to avoid surprises and pull profit levers when borrowing, and obtain property depreciation schedules to claim eligible deductions.

00:00 Podcast Introduction

00:58 Meet Tom Cosentino

01:41 Bird Flu Risk Planning

04:34 Red Meat Conference Brief

05:14 Stacking Farm Enterprises

06:37 Vertical Integration And Solar

08:21 Accounting Background And Talk

09:59 Bank Years And Profit Levers

10:58 Tip One Ten Year Plan

14:14 Tip Two Real Time Tax

15:56 Tip Three Depreciation Schedules

17:14 Advisory Work And Wrap Up

18:13 Final Thanks And Credits

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In this Digging Deeper Ag Chats with Al episode from the Gippsland Agriculture Group, host Alister Micallef speaks remotely with Chelsea about a busy late-winter period of calving assistance, bull testing, and preg testing, plus her recent Red Meat Conference talk on Focus on Weighty Weaners (nutrition, trace elements, and parasite management) and an upcoming MLA webinar in October. Chelsea explains what happens during a bull fertility test: observing movement and identifying common foot and joint issues that reduce libido, aiming for condition score 3 at the start of mating, performing a physical exam including scrotal circumference and testicular palpation, and doing a rectal exam of internal sex organs. She outlines semen collection using an electroejaculator, on-site motility assessment, and lab-based morphology to identify defects (notably proximal droplets in young bulls), discusses the 6–7 week sperm cycle and timing of tests, notes typical problem rates by age, and covers practical bull-to-cow ratios (about 1:50, lower for young bulls) including considerations after fixed-time AI. The episode closes with Chelsea’s quote: “We don’t learn from our mistakes. We learn from reflecting on our mistakes.”

00:00 Welcome to Digging Deeper

00:46 Catching Up With Chels

02:01 Red Meat Conference Recap

03:30 Weighty Weaners Webinar

05:04 On Farm Mishaps Update

06:18 Bull Testing Overview

06:44 Feet Joints And Condition

12:22 Scrotal Exam And Timing

17:19 Semen Collection Process

21:37 Lab Morphology Defects

23:53 Pass Rates And Best Practice

27:41 Bull To Cow Ratios

31:13 Quote And Sign Off

33:31 Final Thanks And Sponsors

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Host Al launches Digging Deeper Ag Chats with Al for 2026 after a first full year of podcasts, outlining plans for more practical guests and more local producers, plus monthly segments from Chelsea (Herd Solutions) with veterinary/animal health updates and Morgs (Elders) with livestock market updates. At the Red Meat Conference in Gippsland, Al interviews Frank Archer, co-principal of Landfall Angus in Tasmania, a fifth-generation business celebrating 150 years, selling Angus seedstock nationally. Archer discusses Angus influence in southern herds, selecting genetics to match production objectives, and the importance of pasture utilization, noting fertility (especially days-to-calving EBVs) as the top profit driver and growth as second. He shares Landfall’s herd scale (about 3,500 calvings across Tasmania and NSW), use of genomics and embryo transfer to increase selection pressure, and the challenges of measuring bull longevity. Archer also describes two years using Halter virtual fencing to support rotational grazing, improve labor efficiency and lifestyle, explains the vibration/beep/pulse cues, and emphasizes management and fertility practices such as early calving and multi-sire joining.

00:00 Welcome Back 2026

01:05 Meet Frank Archer

01:33 Landfall Angus Story

02:54 What Counts As Angus

04:59 Breeding For Different Markets

06:13 Objectives And Management

08:10 Fertility EBVs Matter

09:46 Growth EBVs And Discounts

11:12 Stud Scale And Genomics

13:02 Selection Paper To Phenotype

14:25 Docility And New EBVs

16:04 Bull Longevity Challenge

21:03 Bull And Cow Lifespan Targets

23:57 Maintenance vs Production

25:06 Fat Cows and Profit

25:59 Emissions and Efficiency

26:24 Why Virtual Fencing

28:26 How Halter Works

31:13 Effectiveness and Issues

34:18 Costs and Lifestyle Gains

36:28 Pasture and Fertility Wins

40:28 Bull Mistakes Lesson

41:25 Advice to Younger Self

42:45 Final Thanks and Credits

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Host Alister introduces Digging Deeper Ag Chats and speaks with Pete Norwood of Full Circle Nutrition after he contributed to the Gippsland Soil School, including a practical farm visit at Rohan Bigley’s. Pete recounts growing up on a mixed farm near Mendooran, NSW during the 1982 drought, studying ag science at Charles Sturt University, and later building farms in Stratford and now Seaspray with challenging sandy and saline soils improved with gypsum and lucerne establishment. He describes a pivotal shift toward Kinsey-Albrecht concepts after solving downer cow problems via phosphorus and discovering soil-plant mineral imbalances, emphasizing calcium’s role in soil structure and the need for reliable soil and plant testing (including Albrecht methods, total tests, and sap/tissue analysis). Discussion covers nitrogen use and cofactors, sulfur leaching and application, foliar strategies, and the Growing More Topsoils project at Gippsland Research Farm and its expansion to Skeene Creek, where treatments have increased topsoil depth and improved clay structure, aiming to boost resilience and water-holding capacity.

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:59 Meet Pete Norwood

01:12 Soil School Field Day

02:35 Early Farm Life

04:24 Mendooran Soils

05:30 Drought Memories

06:00 Old School Farming

08:46 Uni and Moving South

10:02 Seaspray Sand Country

11:54 Downer Cows Breakthrough

14:25 Kinsey Albrecht Shift

17:58 Learning From Farmers

21:21 Nitrogen and Animal Health

24:37 Farm Consult Process

25:24 Soil Testing Methods

28:06 Phosphate Options

29:04 Avoiding Chloride Potash

29:41 Rhizophagy Explained

31:35 Calcium Builds Structure

33:18 Sulfur Product Deep Dive

37:13 Foliar Feeding Strategy

41:16 Growing More Topsoils

46:27 Scaling Trials at Skeene Creek

50:26 Advice to Younger Self

52:21 Wrap Up and Contacts

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Host Al welcomes back stock agent Morgan Davies to discuss current livestock markets and seasonal conditions in Gippsland and beyond. Morgan reports strong cattle prices at local sales, including light cows around $3–$3.50/kg, bullocks up to $3,700–$3,800, and light black weaner steers reaching $7/kg, with feeders and feedlot/paddock prices also elevated. He notes cattle are moving back north after earlier flows into Victoria, and suggests producers consider selling in the next few months while supply remains tight, though weather risk and El Niño messaging are on people’s minds. They discuss forward contracts (around 20% of their throughput), the need to honor contract commitments, and strong sheep and lamb markets, including $9 sheep and lamb contracts around $11.80, with skin values driven by leather and wool recovery. They briefly cover regional rainfall patterns, upcoming spring sales, and local football before closing with the quote, “The rain fixes everything.”

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:58 Morgan Returns Banter

01:26 Memes and Clickbait

02:19 Cattle Prices Snapshot

03:07 Weaner Market Highs

04:02 Cattle Heading North

05:06 Weather Watch and El Nino

07:11 Selling Strategy Outlook

09:03 Forward Contracts Explained

11:33 Sheep and Lamb Market

12:20 Skin Value Breakdown

13:05 Finished Lambs Trend

13:23 Store Lamb Trading Risks

13:54 District Rain Check

14:25 Spring Warm Up Timing

15:31 East Gippsland Outlook

16:11 Spring Sales Calendar

16:28 Sports and Footy Banter

17:47 Local Footy Wrap

18:51 Coaching the Juniors

19:40 Quotes and Closing Thanks

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In this Digging Deeper episode, host Al interviews Leecia Angus, paid chair of the Gippsland Ag Board, about her varied career and views on agriculture. Angus describes growing up on Gippsland farms at Glenaladale and later Goon Nure amid droughts, floods, and fires, studying science (genetics, chemistry, biochemistry), and early roles at La Trobe University and the Regional Veterinary Laboratory before moving to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute to work on a malaria vaccine and cancer hematology, focusing on translating science into practical outcomes. She later joined GRDC in Canberra, managing investments in wheat and barley breeding and earlier supporting the GrainGene joint venture, then shifted into internal corporate functions and left in 2014 to consult for universities, RDCs, industry bodies, and government. She discusses local tree-planting projects near Orbost, plans for intensive trellised olive production at Briagolong, work on fall armyworm pheromone mating-disruption trials seeking Australian approval, and as Gippsland Ag chair highlights input-cost fragility and opportunities in tailored soil and nitrogen management. Her advice to her younger self is to focus on manageable actions within one’s influence.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

02:24 Farm Roots and Family

04:34 Drought Fire Flood Lessons

06:12 School Gap Year and Uni

08:53 First Jobs and Research Path

11:05 Medical Research Breakthroughs

12:10 Back to Agriculture at GRDC

16:53 Consulting and Career Shift

19:41 Marlo Return and Local Grants

21:11 Tree Planting at Orbost

23:44 New Olive Venture Briagolong

26:39 Fall Armyworm and Pheromones

31:13 Chairing Gippsland Ag Group

33:19 Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

35:50 Advice to Younger Self

37:11 Wrap Up and Thanks