Paddock Chat

Today on Paddock Chat we’re getting into the research behind WA’s wild dog problem. Joining us today is a wildlife ecologist and DPIRD research scientist, Dr Tracey Kreplins. Tracey busted some common myths about wild dogs, gave us an update on the research being done in WA, and some insight into the kind of activity we may see following a productive breeding season and mild summer. 

We are also joined by returning guest, Midlands Biosecurity Group coordinator Chris O’Callaghan. You would have heard from Chris on our first ever episode of Paddock Chat called “Pest management starts at home” or on our episode about tackling the growing feral pig population called “How to cure our feral pig problem”.

Useful Resources
Listen to the extended version of this episode here
Visit MBG website www.mbg.org.au

Contact Information
Email Chris O'Callaghan (MBG) via [email protected]
Follow Tracey on Twitter via @westauscanids
Follow the MBG on Twitter via @midlandsbiogroup

Support the show

Today on Paddock Chat we are talking preg scanning. Ultrasound scanning pregnant ewes, or pre-scanning, is a management practice that can boost lambing percentages by helping producers manage the needs of pregnant ewes. It also means you can manage dry ewes more effectively. We caught up with Bec Martin, who runs Martin's Ewe Scan across the Midlands region, to learn more about how it works and the potential benefits.

Useful Resources
Get in touch with Bec - [email protected]
Sheep pregnancy scanning benchmarking
Pregnancy scanning for improved productivity and welfare

Support the show

Today on Paddock Chat we are talking potatoes. 

We caught up with Brad Ryan who farms with his family in Dandaragan. They run a mixed enterprise with a focus on ware and seed potatoes. “Ware Potatoes” refers to any potatoes destined for human consumption while still in potato form.

Brad unpacked their operation, giving us an insight into what their growing season looks like, how they tackle constraints such as damaging winds and the innovations they’ve implemented on farm to improve power and water usage.

Useful Resources
WMG "Variable Rate Irrigation for better potatoes" trial report
Northern Valleys Agribusiness Project Case Study Market analysis for Potatoes
2019 WMG Pasture Trial Results featuring Rye Corn

Support the show

Precision ag technologies have huge potential for managing variability in our agricultural systems. We caught up with the Agrarian Management consultant, Bindi Isbister, to shed some light on how we can implement precision ag in our farm businesses to improve input efficiency and boost yields.

Bindi also shared some great tips on where to start, and how to tackle the roadblocks that many producers face when implementing precision ag tech on-farm.

Useful Resources
Profit from precision agriculture (GRDC)
Precision Agriculture Manual - Getting Started (GRDC)

Support the show

Today on Paddock Chat we’re talking farm safety. Is your farm business up to scratch when it comes to safety? In light of the recent changes to WA industrial manslaughter legislation, there is a renewed push to get farming operations up to scratch for the safety and well-being of everyone on-farm: employees, employers, family members, contractors, and visitors. To shed some light on how producers can approach farm safety in their farm business, we caught up with the executive officer of Safe Farms WA, Maree Gooch.

Useful Resources
Safefarms.net.au
Safe Farms WA Free Farm Safety Checklist
Legislation: OHS Act (WA) 1984
Rural Edge Farm Safety Workshops

Support the show

In this episode, WMG’s Brinley Porter caught up with Calingiri farmer, Sarah Mason to unpack her experience eradicating spiny rush from her property. Sarah gives insight into the ongoing activities and tools they use to ensure the re-establishment of the invasive weed is prevented.

And later in the episode, we get to know the newest member of the WMG team, Erin O’Brien. We talk about the BEEF LINKS project, what motivated Erin to get into ag after growing up in Perth, and her unique choice of pet.

Useful Resources
Everything we know about Spiny Rush
Managing sharp rush workshop study

Support the show

Are you planning on burning your crop stubbles ahead of seeding this year? Research has shown there are many benefits to retaining stubbles.

West Midlands Group's executive officer Nathan Craig caught up with Ken Flower to discuss the advantages of retaining stubble to ensure good soil moisture retention and crop establishment, and to minimise soil erosion. Ken is a lecturer at UWA’s School of Agriculture and Environment and Institute of Agriculture and has conducted extensive farming systems research with the GRDC.

Nathan and Ken also discuss how to maximise pre-emergent herbicide efficacy and tips on managing any impact grazing stubbles can cause.

Useful Resources
Think again before lighting up heavy stubbles
GRDC Stubble Initiative
Wind erosion strategies to save your soil this summer - Paddock Chat

Support the show

Are you currently using ASBVs to guide your decision making when purchasing rams? 

If you haven’t had a go at using Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBV) just yet, this episode will give you a better understanding of what they are, and how you can apply them to your operation to improve productivity and profitability.

Essentially, ASBVs are an estimate of the genetic potential a sheep will pass on to its progeny. 

They are a great tool to help you decide whether a ram is the right fit for your flock’s performance and genetics goals. 

In the episode, Kirra caught up with Murdoch University’s resident sheep genetics expert, Bronwyn Clarke to unpack the topic!

Useful Resources
Getting started with sheep genetics (ASBVs and Indexes)
LAMPLAN
Useful Fact Sheets
MERINOSELECT

Support the show

In 2020, Coorow farmer and WMG member Charles Wass hosted a collaborative WMG and Liebe Group trial site to explore options to increase production on what was previously an unviable paddock. 

The paddock was ameliorated with a Plozza Plow in June 2019 and seeded to 8 plots of varying pasture varieties in May 2020.

On today’s episode, you’ll hear a conversation between myself, Charles and WMG mixed farming systems officer Brianna Hindle who ran the trial alongside the Liebe Group, where we unpack the trial's performance, including specific pasture varieties, and the impacts of ameliorating the site after the break of the season.

Get in touch
Brianna Hindle's contact information can be found here.

Support the show

When the West Midlands Group’s Nathan Craig caught up with DPIRD’s Paul Findlater recently to chat about the wind erosion in our region, after checking out some of this year’s trial site, they discussed the performance of a few of those as well as checked some of the interesting things that were happening in roadside paddocks on their way back to the WMG office. They also discussed why Paul loves working in agriculture after many years in the industry.
Listen to the first episode featuring special guest, Paul Findlater here.
Learn more about our current trial sites here.

Contact Information
Paul Findlater
Nathan Craig

Support the show