GRDC Podcast

Most irrigated crop research involves wheat or cotton - but the Optimising Irrigated Grains project is different.

It’s focused on the agronomic and amelioration levers for maize, chickpeas, faba beans, canola, barley and durum. The three-year irrigation project has delivered some impressive results so far.

Contact

Ben Morris

FAR Australia

[email protected]

More information

· Optimising irrigated grains video

· Optimising irrigated grains research report

· WaterCan Profit calculator

· WaterCan Profit calculator demo video.

GRDC project code: FAR1906-003RTX

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Vetch got a bad rap back in the 1990s when a variety that looked like red lentils was substituted for the higher priced commodity and sold into export markets. Since then, this versatile crop has gone from strength to strength, thanks largely to the National Vetch Breeding Program.

In this podcast, program leader Stuart Nagel explores the history of vetch and its adaptability in cropping and mixed farming systems.

The breeding program has been trialling and releasing new varieties suited to Australian growing conditions since 1992.

Contact

Stuart Nagel, SARDI

National Vetch Breeding Program Leader

[email protected]

More information:

National Vetch Breeding Program video https://youtu.be/iiAo0C2jJHo

GRDC code - DAS1711-015RTX

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As many southern growers know, good growing conditions for crops also means good ground conditions for slugs.

After favourable springs in both 2020 and 2021, slug populations are on the rise and sliding into regions that don’t normally see them.

As Dr Michael Nash explains, it’s about being proactive, understanding the risk factors and making informed management choices for the different species.

Contact

Dr Michael Nash

[email protected]

Ruth Peek

[email protected]

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Dual-purpose crops under irrigation offer an attractive graze and grain return. But what's the best set-up to maximise potential at the paddock level?

In this GRDC podcast, we hear from three growers who put forward paddocks in an ambitious effort to answer just that, as part of the Optimising Irrigated Grains investment.

Contact

Kate Coffey

Riverine Plains

[email protected]

More information

· Optimising irrigated grains video

· Optimising irrigated grains research report

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Weed seeds and herbicide resistant genes have the potential to move across farm boundaries and between different land uses. A collaborative project, called area wide management for cropping systems weeds, is taking a unique approach to traditional weed control by collaborating beyond fence lines with varying land users across three pilot regions - the Sunraysia, the Darling Downs and the Murrumbidgee irrigation area. In this podcast, we hear from CSIRO's Dr Rick Llewellyn, and Mallee Sustainable Farming’s Tanja Morgan, about how the project is taking shape in the Sunraysia area.

This project is supported through funding from the Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment as part of its rural R&D for profit program and the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation.

The project also involves 11 research and development partners: Grains Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, AgriFutures Australia, CSIRO, University of Queensland, University of Adelaide, University of Wollongong, Mallee Sustainable Farming, Millmerran Landcare Group, Irrigation Research & Extension Committee Inc, and the Toowoomba Regional Council.

Contact:

Dr Jason Emms, GRDC Manager Weeds

[email protected]

Dr Rick Llewellyn, CSIRO

[email protected]

Tanja Morgan, Mallee Sustainable Farming

[email protected]

More information:

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Across Western Australia’s grain growing regions, farmers are reporting increased mouse activity, sparking new concern about risks heading into the 2022 season.

To help growers keep ahead of this issue, the CSIRO’s Steve Henry and Dr Wendy Ruscoe delivered GRDC mouse control workshops over 21 locations and 4 days across WA’s grain belt in March, speaking with 245 growers and advisers.

In this podcast, Steve Henry shares key insights and recommendations from the workshops.

Contact:

Steve Henry

Research Officer, CSIRO

[email protected]

Georgia Megirian

Crop Protection Manager - West, GRDC

[email protected]

More information:

GRDC code: FMO2201-001SAX

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The main summer grain crop in the northern grains region, sorghum is ordinarily planted between September and January.

But for the past two years, scientists from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at the University of Queensland have been trailing sowing the summer crop in winter.

And while the trials have taken place in cool conditions, the results have proved to be red hot.

Contact:

Professor Daniel Rodriguez

[email protected]

More information:

· Video: Beating the heat – maximizing productivity with late winter sown sorghum https://youtu.be/U-q9O5vHMl8

GRDC code: UOQ1808-001RTX

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For the first time ever, a national survey on herbicide resistance has been conducted as part of a GRDC investment. As Dr Peter Boutsalis from the University of Adelaide explains, there's good news on the resistance status of annual ryegrass to pre-emergent herbicides.

Contact

Dr Peter Boutsalis

The University of Adelaide

[email protected]

More information

Annual ryegrass weed management and paraquat resistance

GRDC project code

UCS2008-001RTX - Determining the incidence of herbicide resistance in Australian grain cropping

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2022 is likely to be a high-risk year for rust, based on the widespread distribution of rust in 2020 and 2021 and the wet summer.

Dr Grant Hollaway from Agriculture Victoria and Professor Robert Park from the University of Sydney share all the details on the latest variety disease ratings and recommendations to help growers make informed stripe rust management decisions this season.

Contact:

Dr Grant Hollaway

Agriculture Victoria

[email protected]

Professor Robert Park

The University of Sydney

[email protected]

More information:

· 2022 NVT disease ratings

· University of Sydney cereal rust interactive map

· Information on the stripe rust WM app

For more details about StripeRustWM and other disease management apps, search for ‘mobile app centre’ on AGRIC.

Project code:

UOS1801-004RTX Australian Cereal Rust Control Program (ACRCP) - University of Sydney: Delivering genetic tools and knowledge required to breed wheat and barley with resistance to leaf rust, stripe rust and stem rust

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Perth Update Event 2022 – Dr. Mike Ashworth

The cost of constantly evolving weed infestations in Australia is staggering. Growers spend around $2.5 billion every year on the problem, with annual ryegrass the number one ranking Australian cropping system weed.

In WA, a series of trials over several years has been studying the interaction between wheat seeding timing and pre emergent herbicides choice on annual ryegrass seed production, with some helpful results on offer. In this podcast, we talk to Dr Mike Ashworth, research agronomist, who’s heading the trials with the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative at the University of WA about the trials and his top tips for reducing annual ryegrass and wild radish seed production in wheat using crop competition.

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