GRDC Podcast

When it comes to storing fertiliser on-farm, small mistakes can turn into big problems. In this GRDC podcast, Grain Storage Extension Team member, Ben White shares practical advice on the dos and don’ts of fertiliser storage. From choosing quality product and limiting handling, through to managing moisture and avoiding dangerous silo blockages. He also highlights the safety risks growers need to be aware of, and where to find trusted resources to help with planning ahead. 

Contact:

Ben White 

Grain Storage Extension Team  

[email protected] 

More Information:  

GRDC publication Investing in fertiliser storage infrastructure, authors Cussons Media and Fertiliser Australia

Project Investment Codes: 

CMP2202-001SAX

PRB2412-001SAX 

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No matter what crop you grow, or livestock you run, the soil beneath your boots is the foundation of your farm's productivity, profitability, and long-term sustainability. And while soil has always been a cornerstone for grain growers, there's never been a consistent way to define, measure, monitor, or report on soil health in Australia. That's why GRDC has invested in the development of a national Soil Health Framework to close this gap and give growers the tools they need to manage soil more effectively. The work is being led by CSIRO in collaboration with a network of research partners. To find out more, this podcast features project lead, CSIRO's Dr Mark Farrell, Dr Stirling Roberton, who is a research scientist, also at CSIRO, and from the University of Western Australia, Emeritus Professor Lynette Abbott.  

Contacts:

Dr Mark Farrell 

Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO 

[email protected]

Dr Stirling Roberton 

Research Scientist, CSIRO 

[email protected] 

Lynette Abbott 

Emeritus Professor, University of Western Australia 

[email protected] 

More Information:

National Blueprint to standardise soil health across Australian agriculture

Development of a soil health framework for Australian agricultural production systems

Project Investment Code:

CSP2504-015RTX 

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Growers around the Eradu area of Western Australia's northern growing region have been deep ripping for many years. Now they're going back and re-ripping for a second, third, fourth, and even fifth time with different machinery as it has progressed over the years. It's all about getting highly alkaline surface soil down deeper in the profile to address subsoil acidity, and at the same time, managing compaction to greater depths. This episode features Craig Topham from Agrarian Management and is part of a five-part GRDC series looking at managing soil constraints in Western Australia. Craig has three clients in the Eradu area, all aiming to achieve the same result, but doing it with different machinery and varied approaches. 

*A note for listeners. This podcast does not cover all products in the market. Different products may have different costs and benefits. 

Contact:

Craig Topham 

Agrarian Management 

[email protected] 

More Information:

Agrarian

Project Investment Code:

PLT2409-001SAX 

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Fungicide resistance is a serious threat to cropping. When all available registered fungicides are no longer effective at managing disease, options for widespread disease control become limited, and the result is high yield losses. So, when a gateway mutation, the first step toward fungicide resistance in wheat powdery mildew (WPM), was detected in samples collected in Western Australia, alarm bells went off. In this episode we speak to Andrea Hills, research scientist with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in Western Australia, about what growers can do to help. 

This podcast is a part of the Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN). 

Contact:

Andrea Hills 

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development 

[email protected]

More  Information:

Potential for fungicide resistance detected in Experance wheat powdery mildew

Project Investment Code:

CUR2302-002RTX

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Don't wait until harvest to consider how you are going to protect your stored grain. That's the message from GRDC's stored grain extension team. When it comes to grain storage, the more you invest in pre-harvest preparation, the better the outcome. This episode features Chris Warrick from the Stored Grain Extension Team who talks about the most important strategies to implement.  

Contact:

Chris Warrick

Stored Grain Storage Extension Team

[email protected] 

More  Information:

2024 Webinar - Pre-harvest grain storage health check  

2024 story - Give grain storage a pre-harest health check

1800 WEEVIL

Stored Grain

Phosphine best management practices 

Project Investment Code:

PRB2412-001SAX

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Do you want to nail those snails in the crop? Well, naming those snails is the first step. In this episode, Prue Adams is in York Peninsula, on the snail trail and speaking with Dr Kym Perry, research fellow in entomology at the University of Adelaide. He goes into detail about the four main snail culprits in crops, how to identify, and what to do about them.

Contact:

Dr Kym Perry

The University of Adelaide

0421 788 357

More Information:

Nail The Snails

Snail Management

Project Investment Code:

UOA2205-005RTX

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At just one millimetre long, redlegged earth mites are tiny, but that doesn't stop them from causing significant damage across Australia, especially in regions with cool, wet winters. To find out how growers can best manage this pest – we talk to Dr Paul Umina from Cesar Australia. The project ' Leading practice management of the Redlegged earth mite (RLEM)' is a GRDC investment that is led by Cesar Australia alongside other project partners. 
 

Contact:

Paul Umina 

Cesar Australia 

[email protected] 

More Information:

Redlegged earth mite best management practice guide

Cesar Australia

Project Investment Code:

CES2503-001RTX

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Oli Le Lievre interviews Andrew and Marie Fowler about their innovative farming practices in Esperance, Western Australia. The Fowlers, who met through Andrew's Nuffield Scholarship, have expanded their family farm significantly. They focus on crop-livestock rotations, emphasizing no-till farming and crop grazing. Andrew discusses their current drainage project, which involves installing tile pipes to mitigate waterlogging and improve crop yields. The Fowlers also highlight the importance of community collaboration and the challenges of managing a large workforce. 

GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties. 

GRDC Project Code: HAG2308-001SAX 

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Justine Baillie and Michael Scobie are the co-leads of the Ag Technology Adoption program at the University of Southern Queensland. They’re trialling and investigating a range of different types of technology to help growers boost crop quality and yield, in a bid to revolutionise farming. The project is providing tools and capacity for drought preparedness through the integration of digital technologies, data management, artificial intelligence and smart machinery including drones. The program is a collaboration between GRDC, the University of Southern Queensland (SQNNSW Drought and Innovation Hub) and Qld Cropping Research (QCR). 

Contacts:

Michael Scobie, Program Director 

Co-Lead, Ag Tech Adoption team  

University of Southern Queensland 

[email protected] 

Justine Baillie, Lecturer 

Co-Lead, Ag Tech Adoption team  

University of Southern Queensland 

[email protected] 

More Information:

Find out more about USQ Bachelor of Agricultural Technology and Management

Ag Tech Adoption team can be contacted 

Video:

Project Investment Code:

USQ2211-002RMX

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At GRDC's National Grower Network (NGN) forums, growers have been asking for information about the cost of inorganic P fertilisers and potential lower cost options of organic P fertilisers. A GRDC investment to explore this topic has delivered some interesting outcomes and to find out the details we speak to Maurie Street from the Grain Orana Alliance, and Dr Tim McLaren from the University of Queensland. 

Contacts:

Maurie Street 

CEO, Grain Orana Alliance 

[email protected] 

Dr Timothy McLaren 

Senior Lecturer in Soil Science, The University of Queensland  

[email protected]

Project Investment Codes:

GOA2006-001RTX, UOQ2203-006RTX

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