MSF Farm Talk Podcast

What does it take to make soil amelioration work at paddock scale? In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, Pinnaroo grower Wade Nicholls shares more than 20 years of experience using soil amelioration to improve challenging soils on-farm. Wade discusses his experience with clay delving and spreading, and why moving from discs to a spader was a major change for his business. By mixing cl...

How do you identify where non-wetting sands are holding back crop establishment and what can you do about it? In this episode of MSF Farm Talk Podcast, Younghusband grower James Stevens shares his experience investigating and addressing non-wetting sands on-farm. James talks about the challenges of uneven crop emergence across variable sand rises and how MSF-supported on-farm trials have helped hi...

What does soil amelioration actually look like on-farm? In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, we hear from Paruna grower Jock McNeil about his experience using soil amelioration practices since 2015 to address non-wetting and other constraints across sandy soils. Jock shares what drove him to start looking at soil amelioration, after seeing crops struggle despite having moisture available...

What brings farmers to a soil amelioration workshop and what do they take away from the day? In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, we head back to Loxton for MSF's Soil Amelioration Workshop, held in June, which brought together farmers, researchers and advisers to share experiences and explore practical approaches to addressing soil constraints across the Mallee. Throughout the day, MSF's...

What are the key herbicide considerations when managing weeds in lentils, and how can growers protect their herbicide options for the future? In Part 2 of the presentation from agronomist and WeedSmart Extension Officer Chris Davey, we continue the discussion on lentil weed management from the Mallee Research Updates. While Part 1 focused on setting lentil crops up for success through rotation, cr...

Lentils can be one of the least competitive crops when it comes to weed control, but good planning can make all the difference. In this episode of MSF Farm Talk podcast, we revisit the Mallee Research Updates from March, where agronomist and WeedSmart Extension Officer Chris Davey explores practical strategies for managing weeds in lentil crops. This is Part 1 of a two-part series with Chris Davey...

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, we revisit Mallee Sustainable Farming's Variable Rate Technology Forum held in Lameroo in March, where Kylie catches up with Pete Treloar after a series of pre-seeding VRT workshops across the South Australian Mallee. Pete shares what recent trial work is revealing about applying phosphorus and nitrogen more strategically using VRT. He explains why man...

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, PIRSA’s Amanda Schapel shares insights from the long-running, collaborative, Soil CRC Sandy Soil Project. The project is investigating how clay and organic amendments can improve the productivity and resilience of sandy soils through literature reviews, pot trials and long-term multi-site field research. Amanda explains why sandy soils can behave...

Mallee Sustainable Farming Research Officer Louise Brok shares insights from the Millewa long-term crop rotation trial established in 2025 in the Victorian Mallee. The trial is evaluating pulse-inclusive farming systems, featuring 50% legumes across five fully phased rotations over four years. The project is investigating profitability, nitrogen fixation and fertiliser requirements, and groundcove...

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast 🎙️, recorded at the March MSF Mallee Research Updates, Ed Scott explores how carbon farming and emissions accounting are evolving in Australian agriculture — and what it means at the farm gate. Ed discusses the shift from carbon credits toward sustainability reporting and Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and why grain buyers and supply chains are incre...

Tackling Mallee Seeps: Insights from the MSF Research Update In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast 🎙️, Chris McDonough shares insights from a Mallee Research Update in Victoria on identifying and managing Mallee seeps — areas where perched water tables bring water and salt close to the soil surface, causing ponding, crop loss and bare saline scalds. The discussion covers the importanc...

Managing Dry Saline Land: Insights from the MSF Research Updates In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, Chris McDonough shares practical insights from a recent MSF Mallee Research Update in Victoria, exploring how growers can better manage dry saline land and improve crop establishment in challenging conditions. Chris explains how transient subsoil salinity can move to the soil surface duri...

Veris Mapping Explained: Seeing Soil pH Differently - with Jordan Ball. In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk Podcast 🎙️Kylie Matthewson catches up with Jordan Ball from AgMap Soil Testing at the recent MSF Pre-Seeding Workshop & VRT Forum at Lameroo in March. Jordan presented on the day on Veris mapping, acidity and other applications. The discussion explores how Veris mapping can help farmers...

🎙️In this MSF Farm Talk podcast episode, host Sarah Day chats with Shane Phillips, lead chemist at BioCentral Labs, about dust control solutions for sandy soils in broadacre cropping. Shane discusses two products being trialled in the Mallee this year – DustChek, a polymer binding agent, and AquaBoost, a fermented seagrass bacterial product – and how they could help reduce soil drift a...

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk Podcast 🎙️, host Sarah Day catches up with growers David Daniel, Adrian Bormann and Nathan Paech 🚜 to reflect on the season 🌱 and unpack their experiences with variable rate technology (VRT). Together, they explore the motivations behind running test strips and the key insights gained along the way. The growers share honest reflections on using data to guide...

 🎧 Join host Chris McDonough live from the Grain Automate Expo in Loxton 🌾 as he takes you out into the paddock for a deep dive into autonomous machinery 🚜 — featuring SwarmFarm and insights from a local grower 👨‍🌾 In this episode, Chris chats with: Bailey Kilpatrick from SwarmFarm Robotics, who shares insights into how on-farm robotics can transform time, data and spraying man...

Join host Chris McDonough straight from the Grain Automate Expo in Loxton as he catches up with 3 growers and a machinery reps about how farmers are tackling the big leap into ag tech. 🎧 Stick with us—there’s about 30 seconds of background noise at the start as we resolve some mic issues, but the audio improves quickly! In this episode, Chris chats indoors with: Mick Caughey, WA growe...

This MSF FarmTalk episode is part of the 101 Soils Questions Series. We explore the basics of dry saline land—how it forms, why it gets worse in drought years, and what steps you can take to support recovery. Dr Chris McDonough, Insight Extension for Agriculture, joins host Tanja Morgan to discuss: What causes dry saline patches to emerge or expand How rainfall and evaporation affect salt mo...

In this episode of MSF FarmTalk’s 101 Soils Questions series, we explore what’s really going on beneath the surface when it comes to compacted sandy soils. Nick Paltridge chats with Nigel Wilhelm about the causes of compaction, how to identify it, and how strategic deep ripping can improve root access to water and nutrients. They also discuss why timing, tine design, and ripping depth...

What does "building soil carbon" really mean on Mallee farms and why should you care? In this episode, we cut through the confusion and get straight to the facts. Nick Paltridge sits down with Amanda Schapel from PIRSA to unpack what soil carbon actually is, how it interacts with soil function, and what practical steps farmers can take to improve carbon levels on broad acre cropping land. We cover...

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, we dig into what’s really happening beneath the soil surface. Soil biology expert Dr Gupta Vadakattu from CSIRO joins us to explore the hidden microbial world in our paddocks. We talk through: What soil biology actually is How microbes help crops survive drought, disease, and nutrient stress The role of stubble retention, crop diversity, and nutr...

In this episode of MSF Farm Talk , we take a look at on-farm adoption of autonomous spraying technology. Merredin grower Brad Jones chats with Kylie Matthewson about his journey bringing Swarm Bot onto his family farm, how it’s working, what it took to get started, and whether it’s stacking up economically. Brad shares his take on why he made the switch, the efficiencies he’s see...

In this special episode, we say goodbye and thank you to Nick Paltridge, who has been Mallee Sustainable Farming’s podcast host, project manager, communicator, and all-round good sport for the past three years. Nick reflects on his time with MSF, sharing memories from the paddock, what he’s learned about Mallee farming systems and community, and why he’s optimistic about the futu...

In this episode, Nick Paltridge is joined by MSF's Research Manager, Dr Penny Roberts to explore what it takes to grow profitable, resilient lentils and other pulses in the Mallee. They discuss the drivers behind the surge in pulse production, practical agronomy tips for low rainfall zones, and a new long-term rotation trial that’s set to provide valuable insights for years to come. 🛠️ ...

In this episode of  MSF Farm Talk , we kick off a new series inspired by the book 101 Questions about SA Cropping Soils . Host Nick Paltridge is joined by Dr. Nigel Wilhelm from the South Australian Research and Development Institute to explore how cropping systems have evolved over recent decades—especially in low rainfall environments. The discussion covers key topics such as early so...