Incorporating readily available organic-soil ameliorants to boost productivity of sandy soils, has been the focus of a three-year GRDC investment in the medium to high rainfall zones of Western Australia's Wheatbelt. The experiments, using organic ameliorates such as hay, stubble straw, and manure, monitored effects of amelioration on crop growth and yield with results varying across trial sites. The trials and investment are almost complete with data currently being collated for year three.  

We talked to Professor Richard Bell from Murdoch University, and Veronica Crouch, the Executive Officer from the Corrigin Farm Improvement Group, who explain how the locally led trials, utilising readily available products on-farm, were eagerly adopted by this grower-driven, inspired group.

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Contact:

Veronika Crouch, Corrigin Farm Improvements Group

[email protected]

Richard Bell, Murdoch University

[email protected]

More Information:

GRDC

Corrigin Farm Improvement Group

Facey Group

West Midlands Group

GRDC Code: CFG2003-001SAX

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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 breeders have achieved over the past 50 years. The trial site features 48 varieties starting from the late 60s, up to the most recent varieties of two to three years ago, including bread wheat, Clearfield-tolerant wheat, and udon wheat varieties.

The different varieties see improved grain size, disease resistance, weight, and crop height, bringing with them harvesting changes over the years. GRDC has a long history in wheat breeding and pre-breeding, including partnerships with wheat breeding companies.

In this episode, we caught up with AGT wheat breeder, Dion Bennett about the trial’s revelations over half a century.

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Dion Bennett, Wheat Breeder 

[email protected] 

More Information:

AGT wheat varieties

GRDC Code: AGT2108-001RTX 

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🎙️ 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 grain producer, agricultural enthusiast, and UQ Agribusiness & Agricultural Science graduate. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, David talks about life growing up on his family’s grain and cattle property west of Goondiwindi. David spent 14 years working on the farm before pursuing university and challenging himself to grow beyond the family business.

Download the transcript for this episode

GRDC Code: HOA2202-001SAX

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Gas-tight sealable silos are the preferred system of grain storage and like all on-farm machinery, they require an annual maintenance health check, including pressure testing the silo. How can we ensure our silo’s health and avoid problems such as weather damage, wear, corrosion, deterioration to inlet and outlet seals and leaks? In this episode, we hear from GRDC's Grain Storage Extension team members, Ben White and Alex Conway on a detailed rundown and timing for that all-important annual silo maintenance checklist.

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Ben White, GRDC Grain Storage Extension Team 

[email protected]

Alex Conway, Toowoomba QLD  

[email protected]  

More information:

GRDC Stored Grain webpage

Stored Grain homepage  

Grain Storage Extension Team hotline – 1800 WEEVIL (1800 933 845) 

GRDC Code: PRB2011-001SAX

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🎙 Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Paul McIntosh. 

Mention the name Paul McIntosh to anyone in the northern grains industry and it’s almost guaranteed to invoke a smile, a humorous quip or an anecdote about his seemingly-boundless agronomic knowledge. 

Mr McIntosh, or Macca as he’s better known to many, is one of the region’s most recognised and respected agronomists and has been a luminary in broadening the understanding, adoption and community recognition of best practice farming throughout his 40-year career. 

In this GRDC In Conversation episode with Oli Le Lievre, Paul discusses his work as an industry development agronomist and how the grains industry has changed over the years.

Download the transcript for this episode

GRDC Code: HOA2202-001SAX

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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 responsible handling and management. In this episode, we chat with Grain Storage Extension Project lead Chris Warrick, along with Alex Conway about the significant safety around phosphine, including masks and meters, which remains the most relied upon fumigant to control stored grain pests in Australia’s grain production systems.

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Chris Warrick – National Coordinator, GRDC Grain Storage Extension Team 

[email protected]   

Alex Conway – Queensland project delivery officer 

[email protected]

More information:

GRDC Stored Grain webpage

Stored Grain homepage

Grain Storage Extension Team hotline – 1800 WEEVIL (1800 933 845)

GRDC Code: PRB2011-001SAX

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🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Mark Swift.

Mark Swift and his family farm 13 different cereal, oilseed, pulse and fibre crops across 4,000 hectares at Parkes, in Central West NSW. In this GRDC In Conversation episode with Oli Le Lievre, Mark discusses the family’s farming operation, the intellectual and physical challenges of farming, and the balance of technology, tradition, and innovation in agriculture.

Download the transcript for this episode

Please be advised that today's conversation includes more colourful language than usual, which may be inappropriate for some listeners.

GRDC Code: HOA2202-001SAX

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The NVT program aims to assist Australian grain growers in varietal decision making by providing comparative information of commercially available grain varieties, including on yield performance, on disease resistance ratings and on grain quality. 

In this four-part series we will hear from a range of breeders – across seven crop types – and each one will provide information on newly commercialised cultivars in the NVT program that will be available to growers for the first time in the upcoming season. 

This podcast is all about canola – and we are hearing from five plant breeders from across the country.

Download the transcript for this episode

More information: visit the NVT website.

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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 that the cheapest option will be the most cost effective over time. Nor will the most expensive always be the most appropriate for your needs. On top of this, there is the need to keep your grain free from moisture, condensation, mould, and insects, which an aeration system can do by maintaining lower temperatures and consistent conditions. So, when choosing which grain storage option to invest in, where do we begin? We caught up with Ben White and Chris Warrick from the GRDC Grain Storage Extension Project to find out the starting points around grain storage options, along with the economics of aeration.

Contact: 

Ben White

GRDC Grain Storage Extension Team

[email protected] 

Chris Warrick

National Coordinator - GRDC Grain Storage Extension Team

[email protected]

More information:     

GRDC Stored Grain webpage

Stored Grain homepage

Grain Storage Extension Team hotline - 1800 WEEVIL (1800 933 845). 

Project Code: PRB2011-001SAX

Read the podcast transcript.

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