🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Professor Andrew Barr.

Andy is a valued SA local and well-known across the grains industry. He joins us to talk about his childhood memories on a mixed farm, where he developed a love for innovation, inspiring him to study agricultural science that led to a 30-year career in plant breeding. Andy shares his experiences of travelling the world and supporting grains research-for-development across some of the most interesting parts of the planet. Despite his successful career, Andrew's ultimate goal was to return to the family farm, which he eventually did. This year Andy was awarded GRDC's greatest honour - a Seed of Gold award - in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Australia’s grain industry.

GRDC Project Code: HOA2202-001SAX

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The southern region is experiencing its worst season of slug infestation. GRDC is so aware of the problems growers are having with slugs, that it currently has a tender out to invest further in slug research. Meantime we catch up with agronomist, Tim Pohlner and invertebrate ecologist, Dr Michael Nash to discuss trouble shooting the problem now and in future seasons. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Dr Michael Nash 

Invertebrate Ecologist 

[email protected] 

More Information: 

GRDC Resources – Slugs and Snails 

GRDC Factsheets – Slug Control

GRDC Publications – Slugs in Crops: The Back Pocket Guide

GRDC Tenders – Optimising slug management

Project Code: MAN2204-001SAX

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🎙️ Terry is the chair of Grains Australia Limited and this year was presented with a GRDC Seed of Gold award.

In this episode, Terry talks about his passion for agriculture and how he started his career in the 1970s in Mount Barker, WA. Despite challenges like the collapse of the wool industry, Terry and his peers persevered, transitioning to grain and livestock. He shares his insights into WA’s Great Southern region, such as its Mediterranean climate and its reliance on winter rainfall for dryland agriculture, and his support for the West Coast Eagles football team.

GRDC Project Code: HOA2202-001SAX

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Camilla Plunkett attends a demonstration day at Dalyup, WA to look at the latest in tile ploughing, a solution being used in the GRDC investment trial exploring sub-surface drainage ROI. Project officer Sophie Willsher from South Coast Natural Resource Management and grower, Rohan Marold discuss all things sub-surface drainage, including a ‘how to’ for growers; and the challenges and rewards of this method. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Sophie Willsher, South Coast Natural Resource Management 

[email protected]

More Information:

GRDC Podcast – Rising interest in sub-surface drainage

Project Code: SCF2005-001SAX

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🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dr Kevin Moore.

A renowned plant pathologist, Kevin was recognised in 2023 with GRDC's highest accolade - a Seed of Gold award - for his work in crop protection. His extensive 55-year career has had long-lasting effects on the grains industry, with his research outcomes and pulse disease management strategies still actively used by fellow researchers and growers to improve profitability to this day.

GRDC Project Code: HOA2202-001SAX

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Deborah Bishop finds out about the latest in canola genetics from CSIRO’s Dr Matt Nelson. Dr Nelson gives an insight into the GRDC invested genetics project exploring the key genetic traits contributing to successful canola establishment. The project also aims to provide canola breeders with improved genetics from overseas varieties and selection tools to accelerate the breeding of varieties with better establishment potential.

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Dr Matthew Nelson 

CSIRO 

[email protected]

More Information:

GroundCover Article – Canola establishment under the scope

Project Code: CSP1907-001RTX

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🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dan Bingham.

Dan runs a large-scale contracting and farming business Bingham Agriculture, from his home base in Skipton, Victoria. He loves the balance of the contracting and farming, lights up when he talks about supporting young people enter the industry and get their start, and says it's the "happy faces and good crops" that are his inspiration.

GRDC Project Code: HOA2202-001SAX

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Sarah Sanderson catches up with Tom De Mattia, from Delta Ag and learns about the 3000km GRDC funded study tour which took a group of growers and advisors from Wagga Wagga NSW to Esperance WA to learn about the similarities and differences in management strategies for each area and highlight the ‘peer-learning’ approach of growers learning from growers.

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Tom De Mattia 

Delta Ag 

[email protected] 

Project Code: DEL2206-002AWX

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🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dr Cassandra Schefe. 

In the Forbes RSL using coasters and the RSL carpet as a reference, Cassie and two big names in agricultural sustainability came up with the idea for the Cool Soil Initiative, which now supports farmers explore practices to improve soil health. It's no surprise she brought such an idea to life, she grew up around farming and found a love for science and soils early on in her career and now runs her consultancy AgriSci Pty Ltd. She’s got a great story, acres of passion and a heap of knowledge, that she explains to us with the utmost care.

GRDC Project Code: HOA2202-001SAX

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Deborah Bishop interviews Mechelle Owen from AHRI, Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative about herbicide resistance in weed species in Western Australia and the data collected from the GRDC funded survey conducted during the 2020 harvest.

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Mechelle Owen

AHRI, University of WA

[email protected]

More Information:

GRDC Podcast – Annual ryegrass resistance to pre-emergent herbicides snapshot

Project Code: UCS2008-001RTX

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