GRDC Podcast

Nick Gillett from the WA’s eastern wheat belt has been making use of carbonate rich soils from his own farm to correct the pH of his farm’s acidic soils, rather than truck-in coastal. An option that saves freight costs, which can then be put towards spreading more of his farm sourced lime over more hectares to improve his soils and crop yields.

GRDC project code: LIE1803-002SAX

Further Information:

Greg Shea, DPIRD

0427 449 398

[email protected]

Useful Resources: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/publications/2019/locating-and-assessing-on-farm-lime-sources

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The Australian Grains Genebank at Horsham is a critical stop along the long development pathway to deliver new varieties that will increase the profitability of Australian grain growers.

On this podcast we go deep inside the facility to see how it works and to learn more about the role of the Australian Grains Genebank plays in your industry. It’s a fascinating story.

Contact:

Sally Norton

03 4344 3124

[email protected]

Resources: http://www.seedpartnership.org.au/associates/agg

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The speed at which weeds develop resistance to herbicides makes farmer vigilance if paramount importance. On this podcast, weed scientist, Dr Chris Preston reveals the current resistance status of both grass and broadleaf weeds.

Contact:

Dr Chris Preston

[email protected]

Resources:

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2019/03/the-war-on-weeds-latest-tips https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2019/02/sustaining-our-herbicide-options-into-the-future2

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Trials are underway in Western Australia to measure the suitability of Flax (or Linseed) as a viable and profitable break crop in systems that have few other alternatives, at the moment. Flax has been grown in WA’s sandy soils in the past but was dropped for the system when a market disappeared.

On this podcast Bronwyn Copestake from Southern Dirt talks about the trials and also potential markets for this new crop that could deliver a lot more diversity for WA farmers.

Contact:

Bronwyn Copestake

0457 399 677

[email protected]

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Entomologists, with the help of growers and grower groups, are looking at whether chaff lines and other harvest weed seed control are having an impact on invertebrate populations in a paddock. Survey work is underway to find out if insect behaviour and movement are affected by extra chaff left in the paddock after harvest.

On this podcast, DPIRD entomologist, Svetlana Micic takes us into the paddock to explain what she thinks may be happening.

Contact:

Svetlana Micic

08 9892 8591

[email protected]

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DPIRD researchers, led by Dr Craig Scanlan, have been investigating nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) crop use efficiency, soil storage and yield responses.

The current body of evidence used to support N, P, and K decisions is inadequate across a range of situations and this uncertainty has led to some lack of grower confidence in fertiliser recommendations.

These decision gaps exist in N, P and K fertiliser management because of climate and systems changes that have occurred after most crop nutrition knowledge was first documented in WA.

GRDC project codes: DAW1801-001TRX & UWA1801-002RTX

Further information:

Dr Craig Scanlan

0427 160 376

email: [email protected]

https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/story/5975994/improved-potassium-access-bolsters-grain-yields/ https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/story/6293818/nutrient-research-guides-fertiliser-decisions/ https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/climate-land-water/soils/managing-soils

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Shrinking the difference between your possible crop yield and your actual crop yield is one way of increasing your profitability. On this podcast the “secret” to reducing your yield gap is exposed and it turns out that for most growers there’s plenty of gains to be made.

Contact:

Harm Van Rees

[email protected]

Further resources:

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2019/02/national-paddock-survey-closing-the-yield-gap-and-informing-decisions4

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Sandy soils, typical to parts of Western Australia and found in South Australia’s and Victoria’s mallee country, create considerable and costly grain constraints.

In WA water repellency, resulting in low nutrient use efficiency and poor crop establishment, affects around 10 million hectares. WA’s annual price tag put on lost production through water repellence is estimated at $250 million.

GRDC is investing in a multi-million-dollar soils and crop nutrition strategy aimed at managing nutrition after ameliorating these kinds of soil constraints.

Water repellent soils in Western Australia are fairly common in the west midlands region, in the central wheat belt and also on the south coast. So the main problem with water repellence is it leads to uneven wetting of the soil and inefficient use of rainfall and ultimately lower grain yield.

Contact:

Dr Craig Scanlan

0427 160 376

[email protected]

Further Information: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/story/5975994/improved-potassium-access-bolsters-grain-yields/ https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/story/6293818/nutrient-research-guides-fertiliser-decisions/ https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/climate-land-water/soils/managing-soils

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The GRDC’s nutrition decisions following a dry season project is looking at a variety of ways to fix multiple soil constraints – pH, sodicity and salinity.

The second year of the five year project has thrown up some interesting results which makes researchers optimistic that they may be able to deliver a sub-soil amelioration package for growers.

Contact:

Ehsan Tavakkoli

02 6938 1992

[email protected]

More information:

https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2019/02/nutrition-decisions-following-a-dry-season

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A new grain cleaning method is being trialled in WA to enable growers to further reduce the presence of snails in their harvested grain and oilseeds. It’s a snail roller, in common use in Victoria, but new to WA.

On this podcast Nathan Dovey from Stirlings to the Coast Farmers talks about the advantages and some of the drawbacks that farmers will have using a snail roller.

Contact:

Nathan Dovey

0429 468 030

[email protected]

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