GRDC Podcast

The Kuhlmann family has been farming on the western side of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula for more than a hundred years. Peter Kuhlmann is the latest generation to farm the challenging calcareous soils in this part of the state.

Like many growers, Peter has been keen to see more done to better understand these soils and has welcomed the new GRDC calcareous soils investment. The $6.75 million GRDC investment is an industry collaboration with the Soil CRC, CSIRO, Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, and the New South Wales DPI.

Contact:

Eyre Peninsula, SA grain grower

Peter Kuhlmann

[email protected]

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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For grower James Heggaton who farms around Kojunup in Western Australia, stubble is a crucial part of his farming system but one that must be actively managed year on year.

On this podcast, which is one of a limited series looking at how farmers are managing stubble across the western region, James explains the role of stubble in a climate where moisture retention is just one of the factors that guide his stubble system.

Contact:

James Heggaton

[email protected]

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Stubble retention is practiced by farmers across the western cropping region for a variety of reasons. A special series of GRDC/West Australian No Tillage Farmers Association podcasts have been produced featuring growers and advisers who explain how stubble retention fits into their systems, the advantages it brings and how they manage the issues sometimes heavy stubble loads create.

On this podcast we speak to Bill Crabtree, a well known champion of conservation agriculture, who talks to us about his experience farming in a low rainfall area and the role that stubble retention plays in his farming system.

Contact:

Bill Crabtree

[email protected]

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For the past three years, researchers in Western Australia have been trialling innovative new pasture legume species suited to low to medium rainfall areas. The findings are clear - new species can overcome traditional barriers to use and deliver significant benefits to mixed farming enterprises.

In this podcast, Professor John Howieson from Murdoch University discusses the research findings so far and shares how growers can use this insight to boost productivity and profitability on-farm. It’s all part significant $18 million-dollar dryland pasture legume research initiative being led by the GRDC.

This national project is supported by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program.

In addition to the GRDC, the five-year project is also supported by Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation, and involves the South Australian Research and Development Institute the research division of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, Murdoch University, CSIRO, the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and NSW Department of Primary Industries, as well as 10 grower groups across WA, SA, Victoria and southern NSW.

Contact:

Ron Yates

[email protected]

John Howieson

[email protected]

More information:

https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/choosing-the-best-pasture-legumes-for-lower-rainfall-areas https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/news-and-media-releases/national/2017/10/pasture-legumes-project-to-grow-the-fortunes-of-mixed-farms

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The extraordinarily high winds experienced by growers around Geraldton in May 2020 emphasised the importance of retaining stubble as a means of protecting the soil. This podcast is one of a limited series looking at how farmers are managing stubble across the western region, brought to you by GRDC and the Wester Australian No Tillage Farmers Association.

Farm consultant Craig Topham talks about the lessons learned from that wind event and about the importance of fitting stubble retention into your farming system and the benefits that can bring.

Contact:

Craig Topham

[email protected]

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Now is the time of year to test your paddock for dispersive soil. Many soils in south-eastern Australia have naturally dispersive topsoils that are prone to compaction, temporary water-logging and reduced seedling emergence.

In this podcast, NSW Department of Primary Industries research Dr Ehsan Tavakkoli shares a simple one-hour soil test that quickly tells growers if dispersion is an issue in their paddocks, allowing them to make informed gypsum application decisions.

Contact:

Dr Ehsan Tavakkoli

[email protected]

Useful resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_6zHhlNyBU&t

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When it comes calculating fertiliser toxicity risk in the paddock, the tools and resources available to growers haven’t really changed over the past 70 years. But exciting new research at the University of Adelaide is modernising our understanding and approach to this important industry issue. In this podcast, research lead Jacinta Dockerill shares the latest fertiliser toxicity research findings and insights.

Contact:

Jacinta Dockerill

[email protected]

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Agricultural technology has a long way to go. That was the message mixed enterprise farmer and Nuffield scholar Andrew Slade delivered to those attending the 2020 Perth Grains Research Update. In this podcast, Andrew talks about what conclusions he came home with after his Nuffield study tour and what that means for the adoption of digital technology in the Australian farming sector.

Andrew Slade, Mix enterprise farmer

Kedenup, Western Australia

0433 779 426

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Through the careful analysis of more than 18 years of paddock data, we now know that cropping weeds constantly evolve to evade all forms of weed control, including non-herbicide strategies.

In this podcast, Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) research agronomist, Dr Mike Ashworth, discusses the evolution of annual ryegrass and wild radish in our cropping systems, and how this information can be used to make strategic weed management decisions.

Contact:

Dr Mike Ashworth

Research agronomist, AHRI

[email protected]

More information:

Evolving weeds video on GRDC YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_NwE2ZdC7U&t=1s

Groundcover online story https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/weeds-pests-diseases/weeds/evolving-weeds-dodge-multiple-management-controls

Integrated weed management tactics https://weedsmart.org.au/the-big-6/

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“The next wave of productivity improvements will come from … the soil itself.”

That’s a quotation from a valuable online resource for growers and their advisers – a series of E-books on improving the soils that make up Australia’s grains belt.

The E-books are interactive and easy to digest and promise users a unique experience when it comes to learning and the application of the information for practical application of the knowledge.

On this podcast we speak to one of the authors Associate Professor Fran Hoyle from The University of Western Australia.

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