Victorian agricultural consultant, Cam Nicholson, has had a career spanning more than four decades – and over the years he’s learned a lot but mostly he spends his time passing on his knowledge to others. 

And that’s one of the reasons Cam has received this year’s GRDC “Seed of Light Award” in the south, which recognises the outstanding contribution, dedication and commitment of individuals to communicating research outcomes to people working in the grains industry. We caught up with Cam to discuss the importance of head, heart and gut when it comes to decision making and see if he has any tips or advice for up-and-coming agronomists. 

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Contact:

Cam Nicholson 

[email protected]  

0417 311 098 

More Information:

Victorian agronomist and scientist each win grains award

GRDC awards

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Rhizoctonia is an important disease of cereals in southern and western growing regions, especially in low rainfall areas. Losses have been estimated at about $15 per hectare for wheat and $12 per hectare for barley in the southern region. 

Unfortunately, fungicide control of rhizoctonia has proven to be difficult, often with mixed results with seed treatments.  

In February 2025, we sat down with Blake Gontar from the South Australian Research and Development Institute to talk about a previous GRDC investment that showed streaming fungicide above and below the seed was an effective way to protect cereals from rhizoctonia and get the greatest yield responses. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact: 

Blake Gontar, SARDI 

[email protected]

More information:  

Project Codes:

DAS00125

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With the ever-increasing cost of farming, getting bang for your herbicide buck is an important consideration when it comes to chemical handling and sprayer set-up. 

In this podcast Victorian grower, Richard Stecher, shares his experience with getting professional advice on correct sprayer set-up. We also hear from Nutrien Ag agronomist, Chris Dunn, who shares his thoughts on how agronomists and growers can get good advice on chemical usage.  

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Contact 

Chris Dunn 

Agronomist, Nutrien Ag 

[email protected] 

More information 

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More is not always better when it comes to adding nitrogen (N) to your irrigated wheat crop. That's one of the key messages from a GRDC investment that’s been set up to investigate profitable, irrigated farming systems.  

In this podcast, FAR Australia Managing Director, Nick Poole, Pinion Advisory senior consultant, Brendan Wallace and Francis grower, Wayne Hawkins, share some surprising findings from focus paddock trials as well as some insights on how to get the most out of applied N under irrigation for a range of crop types. 

This research is part of the GRDC investment, “Facilitated action learning groups to support profitable irrigated farming systems in the northern and southern regions.” 

*Note: this podcast was recorded in July 2023  

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact 

Nick Poole, FAR Australia 

[email protected]

GRDC investment code 

ICF1906-002RTX 

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A major farming systems initiative, spanning five years, is underway in the low and medium-rainfall regions of Western Australia.  

Its aim is to support growers in navigating evolving climatic conditions, enabling them to make informed business and agronomic choices to bolster both on-farm profitability and sustainability. 

In this episode, we get an overview of the results from the first two-seasons of the project from grower and trial host Kevin Naisbitt and DPIRD’s Martin Harries. 

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Contact: 

Martin Harries 

DPIRD 

[email protected] 

Kevin Naisbitt 

Grower

[email protected]

More information:

New farming systems project for WA grain growers 

Comprehensive strategies to enhance western farming systems 

Improving farming system profitability, management of greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilience in the low and medium rainfall zones of WA: Grower Perspectives 

Western Australian Farming Systems project 

Project Codes: 

DAW2204-003RTX 

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Both yield and performance rely heavily on good crop establishment, which is why GRDC is investing in a range of projects to determine the key factors affecting crop establishment. Getting crops established in hot, dry conditions is the focus of this research, which also looks at soil textures and deep sowing across multiple environments. In this podcast we speak to CSIRO farming systems researcher, Dr Kenton Porker, who provided an update on the current learnings and advancements in crop establishment.  

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Contact:

[email protected] 

More Information:

Crop establishment and precision planting

Project Codes: CSP2212-005RTX,CSP2212-007RTX,CSP2303-017BGX,CSP2307-002RTX

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In this week's podcast, machinery specialist Jack Desbiolles from the University of South Australia runs through important considerations for seeder set-up when sowing long coleoptile wheat varieties. 

The work is part of a major national GRDC project, led by CSIRO, exploring integrating long coleoptile wheat into Australian farming systems. 

Research partners include the University of Melbourne, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, SLR Agriculture, DPIRD, the University of South Australia, and EPAG research. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact: 

Dr Greg Rebetzke 

[email protected] 

More information: 

GRDC project code: CSP2212-007RTX 

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Listeners are advised that this podcast contains references to suicide

There’s no shortage of stressors in farming, and while crop destruction is often clearly visible, the impact on grower mental health can be less apparent.     

Although awareness and access to rural mental health services is growing, agronomists can sometimes find themselves on the frontline witnessing or discussing issues with growers that go beyond the paddock. 

In this GRDC podcast, University of South Australia Associate Professor Kate Gunn shares her insight on how agronomists can handle tough conversations with growers who could be experiencing mental ill health. 

If you or anyone you know needs help you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact 

Dr Natasha Caulfield 

Program Manager, University of South Australia 

[email protected]

More information 

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Significant research is underway to help Western Australian farmers sustain their own on-farm nitrogen factory though growing and harvesting pasture legume seed. 

The Harvestable Annual Legume Options (HALO) project is a Western Australian Agricultural Research Collaboration project with GRDC investment.  

It brings together the pasture legume breeding, agronomy and bio-economic modelling expertise of Murdoch University, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development DPIRD and CSIRO. 

In this podcast, research scientist at DPIRD and Murdoch University, Robert Harrison, shares the latest update on this multifaceted project. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact 

Robert Harrison, Research scientist 

DPIRD and Murdoch University 

[email protected]

More information 

GRDC investment code 

UMU2303-005RTX

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Wheat powdery mildew is becoming increasingly difficult to manage, in part because there’s widespread resistance to the available chemicals. So, what to do? It’s a complex matrix of deciding whether it’s worth growing a disease resistant variety which doesn’t yield so well or go with the susceptible variety and hope your fungicides will do the job. 

There is some hope on the horizon in the form of new products, but they’re specific to mildew so you’d still need to apply your other fungicides ... and of course that’s an additional cost. 

In this podcast we hear from agronomist Sam Trengove in the Southern Region, who has headed a GRDC investment looking at this issue and from FAR Australia’s Nick Poole who also works with the Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN). 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact: 

Nick Poole, FAR Australia

[email protected] 

Sam Trengove, Trengove Consulting Pty Ltd

[email protected] 

More Information: 

Understand how fungicide resistance develops

Project Code: CUR2302-002RTX 

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