GRDC, CSIRO and University of South Australia have done a lot of work on how to deal with the sandy soil situation. Hot off the back of a huge investment, culminating in a series of workshops in 2023, they're scaling up, taking the machines and expertise to more than 20 farms across the southern region. It's a project with a great deal of grower involvement and targeted to making that sandy stuff work for growers, not against them. In this podcast we speak to CSIRO research team leader, Therese McBeath and South Australian grower Andrew Thomas. 

Contact:

Therese McBeath, CSIRO

[email protected] 

More  Information:

Practical guidelines for sustained productivity in sandy soils  

Project Investment Code:

CSP2403-017RTX 

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A passion for pulses and in particular a love of lentils has inspired the career of research scientist Dr Audrey Delahunty. Growers are already benefiting from Dr Delahunty’s research into genetic solutions for heat tolerance in lentils, and now she's extending into frost quality technology and other pulses. Meantime, Dr Delahunty is also the recipient of this year’s GRDC “Emerging Leader Award” in the South.    

Contact:

Dr Audrey Delahunty

[email protected] 

More  Information:  

Victorian agronomist and scientist each win grains award 

GRDC awards  

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Gemma Walker is a mover and shaker in the Western Australian grains industry, literally! If she isn’t moving from a board meeting in one city to the next, she’s flying back home to the family sheep and wool property in Munglinup. Gemma is at the forefront of WA’s ag industry, promoting sustainable practices for the future as well as getting her hands dirty on the farm.

In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre speaks with Gemma about her passion for the grains industry. The conversation explores the importance of innovation, community and leadership in agriculture, as well as the value of collaboration across different industries. Gemma emphasises the need for nurturing the next generation of leaders and the significance of vulnerability in leadership roles. 

GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties.

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Sclerotinia stem rot is a canola disease that is challenging to manage

In an ideal world, Australian growers would have access to canola cultivars with resistance to sclerotinia stem rot. And that’s exactly what researchers at the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM), a co-investment of GRDC and Curtin, are trying to develop. In this episode, we’re joined by Senior Research Fellow and Project Lead, Mark Derbyshire, to find out how.

Contact:

Mark Derbyshire, CCDM

[email protected]

More information:     

New breeding lines and field screening methods for developing sclerotinia stem rot resistant canola cultivars

Project Code:

CUR1403-002BLX

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Precision weed management is where optical sensors and remote and sensor weed mapping systems are used to target weeds and therefore cut herbicide costs. GRDC is investing in a series of case studies to explore the benefits and costs related to precision weed management technologies. One of those case studies is Warakirri Cropping, one of Australia's largest grain growers with 11 cropping farms across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. We chat to a few of the Warakirri team, including Junior Assistant Farm Manager, Patrick Anderson, Farm Manager, Jono Robinson, Southern Regional Manager, John Stevenson and Warakirri Cropping's Sustainability Officer, Jess Sleigh.

Contacts:          

Jess Sleigh, Sustainability Officer, [email protected]

John Stevenson, Farm Manager [email protected]

Watch the video:

https://youtu.be/AleO-NRv5EM

Project Investment Code:          

SRE2310-001SAX

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Ray Harrington has always had an eye on the battle taking place in the fields of Aussie agriculture, the war on weeds and pests. So, he and a group of like-minded farmers, researchers and innovators took up the torch to solve it once and for all.

In this episode of GRDC’s In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre speaks with Ray about his journey to inventing the Harrington Seed Destructor, one of the most effective tools in dealing with weed resistance in the market. In their chat, they cover the significant issues facing farmers today including weed management, herbicide resistance, declining rural communities and succession. Ray insists the key is for the next generation to have a plan for the future, and he shares the significance of community in farming life.

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

GRDC Project Code: HAG2308-001SAX

GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties.

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Sclerotinia in lupin is a sporadic disease found across the WA grainbelt. When weather conditions favour disease spread, it can cause significant loss of yield and grain quality.  

With GRDC investment, collaborative research by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Centre for Crop and Disease Management, and the Mingenew-Irwin Group has been looking at ways lupin growers can learn to recognise risky scenarios and employ management strategies to reduce impact of the disease. 

To find out what the team has discovered, we’re joined on this episode by DPIRD research scientist Ciara Beard.

Contact: 

Ciara Beard 

Research Scientist, DPIRD 

[email protected] 

More information: 

Sclerotinia management in WA’s lupin crops  

Lupin sclerotinia disease risk assessment guide 

SclerotiniaCM - Sclerotinia Management App  

Project Codes: 

DAW2104-002RTX 

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A GRDC National Grower Network investment, based in Western Australia, has been working to improve knowledge of fallow management and the economic value of fallows in cropping rotations.

Through this project, it has been identified that there are four key objectives growers should take into account when considering fallow – profitability, moisture, weeds, and nitrogen.

In this episode, Laconik founder Darren Hughes explains that by understanding these objectives, growers will be in the best place to understand the most profitable fallow strategies they should consider this year.

Contact:

Darren Hughes

Laconik

[email protected]

More information:

Fallow Management and the Economic Costs

Maximising the profitability of fallow

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Neil Wandel moved to Esperance in 1979 with his wife, one kid, and another on the way. Their operation was a tough lot to crack, but through gumption and careful planning, they navigated the highs and lows of starting a successful farm before becoming Esperance Quality Grains.

In this episode of GRDC’s In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre speaks with Neil on how the many years of working in the grain industry have affected the community of Esperance. Neil shares his story of dropping out of school to help his father on the farm before beginning his own journey in Western Australia. He highlights the importance of working with your neighbours, seeking leadership roles, the joys of working alongside family, and planning for an increasingly challenging industry.

More information

GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties.

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Svetlana Micic has spent the past 22 years as an entomologist with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, where she has been an exceptional communicator of GRDC-invested project work around insect pest monitoring, surveillance and integrated pest

That dedication to ensuring information is shared with those who need it most has led her to be highly respected by growers, agronomists and consultants.

It’s also the reason why she was named GRDC’s 2025 Seed of Light recipient for the West at the Grains Research Updates in Perth.

Contact:

Svetlana Micic

DPIRD

[email protected]

More information:    

Western Seed of Light, Emerging Leader announced at GRDC Update

Visit link:

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