Barley grass in the southern cropping region is becoming more prominent as a problem weed for croppers – as herbicide resistance emerges and as the plant evolves develops new behaviours.

A region wide series of trials is taking place, including work being carried out at Birchip in western Victoria by the Birchip Cropping Group, with the overall project being overseen by weed and cropping specialist, Associate Professor Gurjeet Gill from the University of Adelaide.

Contact

Claire Browne

03 5492 2787

Professor Gurjeet Gill

08 8313 7744

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Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development senior researcher Mark Seymour and Esperance Port Zone grain grower Ron Longbottom feature in this podcast about Lentils.

In WA growers have been cautious about including this pulse in their cropping program because of variable yields and harvesting challenges.

However new lentil varieties and modern harvester fronts have made the lentil a more viable option in cropping systems.

Mark Seymour

Senior Research Officer

Grain Crop Agronomy

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

+ 61 (0)8 9083 1143 | f: + 61 (0)8 9083 11002 | m: + 61 (0)428 925 002

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How do you take soil samples from your paddocks? A leading soil scientist maintains that many farmers are leaving a lot of valuable information buried in the paddock, which could be easily accessed with a slightly different approach to sampling. On this podcast, Jason Codon invites you to look at soil sampling with soil variability in mind.

Contact:

Jason Codon

02 6933 2278

[email protected]

Link https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2019/02/effective-soil-sampling-high-and-low-cost-options-to-gain-soil-fertility-information-for-management.

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And you thought you were responsible for that amazing wheat crop. Think again. There are people in back offices all over Australia who know the seed you sow, infinitely better that you could hope. These are the people of SAGI – Statistics for the Australian Grains Industry. The name does not even hint what SAGI does. Take a listen and find out about the best friends you will ever have in the grains industry.

Contact:

Dr Julian Taylor

08 8313 2077

[email protected]

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They may be tiny but the damage they can potentially do is far from small. Root Lesion Nematodes are well known as a problem, but there is still much to learn about them and their impact on crops. A new investment by GRDC aims to fill in some knowledge gaps in parts of WA and develop further options for growers seeking to better control the nematodes if they are proving a problem in individual paddocks.

Contact:

Blake O’Meagher

0499 166 160

[email protected]

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Trials in Western Australia are showing how well canola can out compete ryegrass if some simple management changes are made. At a trial site in Kojunup, that was blanketed in ryegrass plants, adjusting seeding rates, seed size and row spacing had a dramatic impact on ryegrass plant numbers.

Contact:

Mike Ashworth

08 6488 7872

[email protected]

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Growers with acid soils know full well the risks involved in growing pulses. While new acid tolerant rhizobia are on the way, this podcast focusses on giving you an insider’s view on getting the best performance from your pulses growing in acidic soil.

Contact:

Ross Ballard

08 8303 9388

[email protected]

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Crop competition is one of the key pathways to controlling unwanted weeds in your paddocks. On this podcast we look at one trial in Western Australia that is testing crop competition against prolific ryegrass populations, proving that out-competing weeds really works.

The trial is also looking at the pre-emergent herbicide degradation, particularly in dry times. AHRI’s Mike Ashworth provides some food for thought.

Contact:

Mike Ashworth

08 6488 7872

[email protected]

More Information:

https://bit.ly/2QtqP1j

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A leading soil scientist has argued for a more strategic approach to nitrogen application. One way of doing that is by increasing soil carbon levels. But the CSIRO’s Jeff Baldock goes one step further and argues that putting a value on soil organic carbon would encourage farmers to grow more legumes.

Contact:

Jeff Baldock

08 8303 8537

[email protected]

More Information: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2019/02/nitrogen-and-soil-organic-matter-decline-what-is-needed-to-fix-it

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How economically viable is incorporating organic matters into your sub-soil? That’s what new research funded by GRDC is trying to ascertain.

While it’s been long understood that some sub-soils constrain root growth, just how that could be feasibly addressed has been sticking point.

On this podcast Dr Roger Armstrong from Agriculture Victoria discusses ways sub-soil constraints may be overcome.

Contact:

Roger Armstrong

0417 500 449

[email protected]

Other Resources: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/groundcover/groundcover-july-august-2018/machine-streamlines-subsoil-amelioration-research https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/story/5889038/shedding-light-on-subsoil/

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