GRDC Podcast

Beneficial insects play an important role in providing natural pest suppression for growers in cereal crops across Australia. Until recently there was no scientifically proven guide to help growers monitor the impacts of commonly used insecticides on beneficial insects. Rosie Knapp, from Cesar Australia, explains the new resource for growers.  

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Rosie Knapp 

Cesar Australia 

[email protected] 

More Information: 

Cesar Australia – The Beneficials Chemical Toxicity Table

GRDC Podcast: 

Natural enemies: beneficials, insect friends with benefits

Endosymbionts – game changing bacteria in insect species

Novel solutions for pest management

Video: 

GRDC YouTube – Endosymbionts – Game changing bacteria in insect species

GRDC Code: UOM1906-002RTX

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The Longmire’s farm at Beaumont, near Esperance in Western Australia, have been experimenting with variable rate technology for more than 20 years. As pros at using precision agriculture, Tom and Phil presented at workshops across WA earlier this year to share their experience implementing the technology on-farm. Tom joins us on this episode to tell us more.

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Tom Longmire

Beaumont grower

[email protected] 

More information:

GroundCover article – Grower insights bolster variable rate technology workshops 

GroundCover article – Variable-rate technology adds input efficiency to cropping, experts say 

GRDC Code: SPA2201-001SAX

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The Soil Quality ebook series, developed by SoilsWest with GRDC investment, draws upon a wealth of scientific published information, knowledge from dedicated soil science practitioners, industry perspectives and first-hand experience of growers.

The 10th and final book in the series, covering the topic of plant nutrition, was released in October 2023 and the entire series is available to download for free from Apple Books. 

We sat down with Craig Scanlan from Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to find out what the final book has to tell us about the status of macro and micronutrients in WA.

Contact:

Craig Scanlan  

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

[email protected]

More information:

Soil Quality ebook downloads from Apple

Soil Quality ebook information

GroundCover article – Gravel soil explored in new ebook launched at national conference

GRDC code: UWA1806-008SAX

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The price of fertiliser has reached record highs over the past few seasons, so any option to reduce the amount of inputs being used on-farm, without impacting yield or productivity, can only be a good thing. 

With GRDC investment, the Society of Precision Agriculture Australia has been hosting a series of face-to-face workshops around the country to try and help growers do just that. 

To find out more, we speak to Bindi Isbister, a precision ag specialist from Agrarian Management in Western Australia. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Bindi Isbister 

Decision Agriculture Specialist, Agrarian Management

[email protected]

More information:

GRDC publication – Embracing precision agriculture

GroundCover article – What value can precision ag tools bring to your business?

Project Code: SPA2201-001SAX

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The second tier of the Australian Grains Pest Innovation Program (AGPIP) looks at beneficial insects in Australian grain crops as an alternate pest control option. With the use of endosymbionts, the team at the University of Melbourne’s Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEARG) are using new technology to help increase beneficial insect populations and supress plant virus transmission.  

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Contact:

Dr Josh Thia 

University of Melbourne 

PEARG

[email protected]

More information: 

Cesar Australia – How to send off samples

Cesar Australia – Beneficial chemical toxicity table

University of Melbourne – Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEARG)

GRDC Podcast – Novel pest solutions podcast

Cesar Australia – AGPIP 

GRDC Podcast – Endosymbionts: Game changing bacteria in insect species Podcast 

GRDC YouTube – Endosymbionts: Game changing bacteria in insect species Video 

GRDC code: UOM1906-002RTX

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Join Dr Arun Shanmugam and Dr Gary Rosewarne from Agriculture Victoria as they discuss the impact of GRDC’s investment on the Australian Lentil Industry since its establishment in the 1990’s. This podcast also looks at the increased scale in operations and infrastructure to deliver new varieties for growers and also how new GRDC investment is expanding lentil production as a national program, into new areas of Australia, including WA. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Dr Arun S Shunmugam

Lentil Breeder

Agriculture Victoria  

[email protected]

More Information: 

Agriculture Victoria – Big boost for lentil breeding

GRDC Podcast – Heat Tolerant Chickpea: update on heat tolerant chickpea lines

GRDC Podcast – Expanding chickpeas in the west

Video:

GRDC YouTube – Lentils in Western Australia

GRDC Code: DJP2104-003OPX

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Growers at the GRDC Grains Research Updates at Minyip in Victoria in July 2023 were told by Gerard McMullen from the National Working Party on Grain Protection that applying chemicals according to the label rate did not necessarily mean grain would meet export market requirements. 

Gerard joins us on this podcast to talk about changing MRLs, the chemical review being undertaken by the APVMA and why products such as carbendazim should never be used off label. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Gerard McMullen

National Working Party on Grain Protection

[email protected]

More Information:

GroundCover article – Grains industry scores A-plus for chemical residue compliance

GroundCover article – EU changes residue limit for haloxyfop on canola

Project Code: ORM1906-001SAX

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A virtual goldmine of data generated from thousands of research, development and extension projects – all supported by GRDC – will soon be discoverable, accessible and able to be used to accelerate research outcomes. 

GRDC’s Data Partnerships Initiative is a $2.8 million investment over 18 months and it brings together 12 Australian research organisations that are currently working on projects in which GRDC has invested. 

Decades of data has been collected on a range of topics including yield, soils, genetics and climate - and this new initiative will collate existing data as well as provide a roadmap for improving data management in the future. 

We speak to Agriculture Victoria crop agronomy research leader – Associate Professor Glenn Fitzgerald – and Alexis Tindall Manager of Digital Stewardship for the Adelaide University Library.

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Contact:

Glenn Fitzgerald, Agriculture Victoria crop agronomy research leader

[email protected]

Alexis Tindall, Manager of Digital Stewardship for the Adelaide University Library

[email protected]

More information:

GroundCover article – Data partnership builds expertise to harness data treasure trove

GRDC Code:

DJP2201-004RTX, CUR2206-001SAX, DAW2206-007SAX, UMU2210-002BGX, DPI2206-024BGX, UOA2210-002BGX, UOA2206-008SAX, UOQ2301-004BGX, UOS2208-001BGX, UWA2206-005SAX

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Spring is a critical time for disease detection in order to avoid or at least minimise yield losses; and already we are seeing higher infection levels than in previous years. 

Dr Hari Dadu is a senior research scientist with Agriculture Victoria has nearly a decade of experience working with crop diseases and is now leading the Septoria tritici blotch research in wheat, in the low and medium rainfall areas of the southern region. 

And in addition to this research, GRDC is also investing in three more projects in this space to develop new genetic resources – that will allow growers to have multiple solutions to reduce crop losses in near future. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Dr Hari Dadu 

Agriculture Victoria 

[email protected] 

More Information: 

Project Code: FTS2006-001SAX, DJP2104-004RTX

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Plant pathologist, Kurt Lindbeck from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI) at Wagga Wagga, discusses the challenges for growers when assessing disease risk this season.

What signs should growers be looking for, how is and does weather affect decision making and what are the considerations for fungicide application?

Kurt’s key message for growers this season around disease detection is to get out there and walk among their crops and observe any signs of disease. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Kurt Lindbeck

NSW DPI 

[email protected]

More Information:

Crop diagnostic service runs out of DPI Tamworth and Wagga, that extends to providing advice for growers, dpi.nsw.gov.au 

GRDC Code: DPI2207-002RTX, DPI2206-023RTX

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