GRDC Podcast

New research is harnessing advanced computer capabilities and artificial intelligence to fast-track the development of new barley varieties with improved foliar pathogen resistance – shaving years off conventional breeding program processes.

Dr Kai Voss-Fels is the project lead and senior research fellow with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, based at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. The program is off to a strong start, thanks to the findings from the four-year barley foliar pathogen project.

Part one of this podcast explores these findings in more detail, with focus on pathogen presence and spread across Australia’s growing regions.

Contact:

Kai Voss-Fels, UQ

[email protected]

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Growers are set to get better variety recommendations faster through a new GRDC investment, INVITA, which is adding value to the National Variety Trial (NVT) program. The investment is led by Prof Scott Chapman from the University of Queensland (UQ) which is working in collaboration with Australian partner, CSIRO.

The investment, INVITA, leverages off a major EU investment INVITE (Innovations in plant Variety Testing in Europe), a consortium led by INRA in France (INRA being the French equivalent of CSIRO).

The main INVITE collaborator with INVITA is Prof Fred van Eeuwijk, a statistician from Wageningen University and Research (WUR), the world's number one agricultural university.

Contact:

Prof Scott Chapman, University of Queensland

[email protected]

Useful resources:

https://youtu.be/2hOQPRb-z1A

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Until now, only limited information has been available about in-paddock summer weed distribution and abundance in Western Australia. However, a two-year survey, which will be completed in 2021, will provide hard numbers for the entire wheatbelt.

The survey, completed with investment from the GRDC, has been coordinated by Albany-based agronomist Andrew Storrie, of AGRONOMO.

Contact:

Andrew Storrie, AGRONOMO

+61 (8) 9842 3598

0428 423 577

[email protected]

@AgronomoOz

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A new GRDC publication containing the latest research into canola production in Western Australia’s low rainfall zones is now available. This detailed GRDC publication also contains grower case studies outlining how growers manage their crops to get the best results in these challenging environments. In this podcast you’ll hear from one of those growers Tony Murfit, who farms near Merredin, about a three hour drive east of Perth.

Debra Bishop travelled to the eastern grain belt to record this account of Tony Murfit’s experience as a canola grower.

Contact:

Tony Murfit

[email protected]

GRDC resources:

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/publications/2021/golden-rules-for-canola-in-the-low-rainfall-zone

Other resources:

https://grdc.com.au/chemical-weed-control-in-canola

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/04/spraying-for-rlem-could-become-a-thing-of-the-past

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/02/understanding-the-double-effect-of-high-temperature-on-crop-yield

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/02/exploring-the-effects-of-seed-size-and-target-plant-densities-on-the-yield-of-hybrid-canola-across-australia

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/02/canolas-deep-roots-agronomy-to-capture-benefits-and-manage-legacies

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/02/earwigs-an-appetite-for-destruction-or-are-they-beneficial

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Australia’s ongoing reliance on a limited range of chemicals has set a concerning trajectory for insecticide resistance. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies play an important role in curbing future resistance cases, however there’s a strong social dynamic at play when it comes to growers and advisers adopting these strategies on-farm.

In this podcast, Bruce Howie from C-Qual Agritelligence and Kelly Angel from Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) delve into the social dynamic of IPM and share how advisers can help drive positive long-term change.

This podcast has been developed as part of the investment, "Supporting the sustainable use of insecticides and local on-farm implementation of IPM strategies in the GRDC southern region”. The investment aims to provide knowledge and skills to growers so they are equipped with a range of appropriate IPM strategies for their situations.

It is being delivered by BCG, Cesar Australia, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) which is the research division of Primary Industries and Regions SA, C-Qual Agritelligence, and Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF).

Useful resources:

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/02/insect-pest-control-are-you-advising-for-today-or-the-future

https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/using-all-our-tools-for-pest-management-redlegged-earth-mite

https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/using-all-our-tools-for-pest-management-diamondback-moth

https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/using-all-our-tools-for-pest-management-green-peach-aphid

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/publications/2020/redlegged-earth-mite-best-management-practice-guide-southern

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/publications/2020/green-peach-aphid-best-management-practice-guide-southern

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/publications/2020/diamondback-moth-best-management-practice-guide-southern

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At the December 2020 Crop Protection Forum in Perth, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development research scientist Ben Congdon spoke about the collaborative research effort underway to develop better proactive management strategies for Green Peach Aphid. GPA is a major vector for the transmission of Turnip yellows virus, a serious disease of canola crops which can result in yield losses of up to 46%.

Contact:

Ben Congdon

[email protected]

Resources:

www.ahri.uwa.edu.au

www.ccdm.com.au

www.cesaraustralia.com

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Roberto Busi from the GRDC-supported Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative is working on the use of herbicide mixes as a powerful tool to combat resistant weeds.

Dr Busi gave a presentation on this subject at the Crop Protection Forum in Perth in late 2020.

Contact

Roberto Busi

[email protected]

Useful resouces

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Many decisions growers make are the result of trials undertaken to test any number of variables. These small plot trials are replicated and the results are reliable because they are small plots with little chance of spatial variability.

However, the same analysis that is used to decide the results of small plot trials can not be transferred to large plot trials.

On this podcast, Katia Stefanova and her colleagues from SAGI - West outline the problems with statistical analysis of large plot trials and the work being undertaken to solve the problem.

Contact:

Katia Stefanova

[email protected]

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Calcareous soils are very common in the southern grain-growing region and cover 60% of the region’s cropping country. These soils are high in calcium carbonate, resulting in poor crop establishment and low grain yields compared to less hostile soils. But a new research initiative is set to improve the grain industry’s understanding of these soils and how they constrain crop yield and profitability.

Behind the initiative is the Grains Research and Development Corporation in conjunction with the Co-operative Research Centre for high-performance soils, the Soil CRC. Also collaborating on this project are CSIRO, NSW DPI and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia. GRDC is investing 6.75 million dollars over 3 years in this initiative to build on previous research knowledge into calcareous soils.

Contact:

Nigel Wilhelm, Farming Systems Leader

South Australian Research and Development Institute

+ 61 407 185 501

www.pir.sa.gov.au/research

Useful resources:

https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/news-and-media-releases/south/2020/september/hostile-soils-the-target-of-major-new-research-effort https://soilcrc.com.au/grdc-co-invests-in-soil-crc-calcareous-soils-project/

Update papers:

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2020/03/understanding-factors-affecting-the-effectiveness-of-p-and-pk-fertilisers-when-deep-banded

http://soilquality.org.au/factsheets/soil-ph-south-austral https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/3246539/Australian-Agriculture-in-2020-Pt2Ch8.pdf

https://cwfs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Making-WUE-Work.pdf

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