Grains Convo

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Janette Pratt Guest Speaker: DPIRD research scientist Tom Edwards   In this episode of Grains Convo, Janette Pratt hosts DPIRD research scientist Tom Edwards and delves into the impact strategic deep tillage has on herbicide toxicity.   Tom explores how strategic deep tillage can ameliorate soil constraints and lift production but can also have an impact on the way...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Janette Pratt Guest Speakers: DPIRD research scientist Martin Harries and development officer Dayna Hutchinson In this episode of Grains Convo, Janette Pratt hosts DPIRD research scientist Martin Harries and development officer Dayna Hutchinson, who delve into DPIRD's Western Australia Farming Systems Project.  Martin sheds light on the evolving farming systems in W...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Cindy Webster Guest Speaker: DPIRD principal research scientist Paul Findlater and DPIRD research scientist Bindi Isbister In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD research scientists Paul Findlater and Bindi Isbister join Cindy Webster and delve into the causes and consequences of wind erosion, with a specific focus on why Western Australia is susceptible to this ris...

Host: DPIRD research scientist Cindy Webster Guest Speakers: DPIRD entomologist Svetlana Micic In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD entomologist Svetlana Micic joins Cindy Webster to talk about why growers should consider beneficial insects when spraying. Svetlana discusses what a beneficial insect is and how growers can make sure they’re correctly identifying the helpful critters. She also tell...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Cindy Webster. Guest Speakers: DPIRD research scientist Dr Dusty Severtson, research scientist Dr Catherine Borger and plant pathologist Geoff Thomas. In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD's crop protection team leaders join Cindy Webster to discuss how below average summer rain and drier start to the season impact pests, weeds and diseases. Catherine tells us how...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Janette Pratt Guest Speakers: DPIRD research scientist Dr Meredith Guthrie and Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How. In this episode of Grains Convo, Dr Meredith Guthrie and Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How join Janette Pratt to talk about the climate tools available to growers to help with their decisions on-farm during the...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Cindy Webster Guest Speakers: DPIRD research scientist Alice Butler and soil science portfolio manager Chris Gazey. In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD research scientist Alice Butler and soil science portfolio manager Chris Gazey  join Cindy Webster to talk about the practice of liming. Alice has spent the past three years working on a project looking at soil ac...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Cindy Webster Guest Speakers: DPIRD nematologist Sarah Collins and research scientist Wayne Parker. In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD nematologist Sarah Collins and research scientist Wayne Parker join Cindy Webster to talk about the impact of soil amelioration on soilborne pathogens and nematode pests. Sarah tells us what the difference between pathogens and p...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Janette Pratt Guest Speakers: DPIRD entomologist Svetlana Micic and Farmanco agronomist Brent Pritchard. In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD entomologist Svetlana Micic and Farmanco agronomist Brent Pritchard join Janette Pratt to talk about red legged earth mite (RLEM). Svetlana discusses why RLEM is such a problem for WA farmers, what has caused resistance to t...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Cindy Webster Guest Speakers: DPIRD research scientist Jeremy Curry and senior research scientist Jean Galloway In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD research scientist Jeremey Curry and senior reserach scientist Jean Galloway join Cindy Webster to talk about their respective research relating  to canola. Jeremys discusses a three-year study he conducted into canol...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist Janette Pratt Guest Speaker: DPIRD research scientist Dr Stephen Davies, CSIRO chief research scientist Dr Greg Rebetzke and SLR Agriculture agronomist Michael Lamond In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD research scientist Dr Stephen Davies, CSIRO chief research scientist Dr Greg Rebetzke and SLR Agriculture agronomist Michael Lamond join Janette Pratt to chat abo...

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist Cindy Webster Guest Speaker: DPIRD Research Scientist Craig Scanlan and CSBP Research Agronomist James Easton In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD Research Scientist Craig Scanlan and CSBP Research Agronomist James Easton join Cindy Webster to chat about soil testing. James details the importance of knowing what the nutrient levels are within the soil profile, as...

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist, Cindy Webster Guest Speaker: DPIRD Research Scientists Alex Douglas and Dr Harmohinder Dhammu  In this episode of Grains Convo DPIRD Research scientist Alex Douglas summarises the major weed trends of 2022 for the WA grainbelt and potential summer weeds for 2023. Research Scientist Dr Harmohinder Dhammu talks about initial findings from a DPIRD research project tha...

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist, Janette Pratt Guest Speakers: DPIRD Research Scientists Geoff Thomas and Andrea Hills In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD Research Scientists Geoff Thomas and Andrea Hills discuss the crops diseases that were seen in the WA grainbelt in 2022. They also talk about the implications for the coming season and how to prepare and manage these diseases before seeding i...

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist, Cindy Webster Guest Speakers: DPIRD Research Scientists Svetlana Micic and Dr Benjamin Congdon In this episode of Grains Convo, DPIRD Research Scientists Svetlana Micic and Dr Benjamin Congdon talk about the problematic broadacre pests (and associated viruses) experienced in the WA grainbelt in 2022.  They identify the pests and viruses that are likely to be proble...

Host: DPIRD research agronomist, Janette Pratt Guest Speaker: DPIRD research scientist, Miranda Slaven In this episode of Grains convo we talk about electric weed control which has been trialled in Australia for the first time by DPIRD in a collaboration with WALGA, AGXTEND Europe, GRDC, Wine Australia and the Cotton Research and Development corporation (CRDC). DPIRD research officer Miranda Slave...

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist, Cindy Webster Guest Speaker: DPIRD Research Scientist, Brenda Shackley In this episode of Grains Convo we discuss the recently released 2023 WA Crop Sowing Guide. This annual publication, compiled by DPIRD officers, is a one stop shop for information on varieties for all the major crops grown in WA. The 2023 guide features information on 31 new variety releases, al...

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist, Janette Pratt Guest Speaker: DPIRD Research Officer, Glen Riethmuller In this episode of Grains Convo we talk about minimising grain losses at harvest through harvester setup. DPIRD Research Officer Glen Riethmuller discusses how much grain is lost at harvest, where most of the grain is being lost and setting up harvesters to minimise these losses. 

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist, Cindy Webster Guest Speakers: DPIRD Research Scientist, Dr Brenton Leske In this episode of Grains Convo we talk about frost, which in WA refers to an event when the screen temperature at a local weather station falls below 2°C. Dr Brenton Leske discusses the impact frost damage can have on crops, how to diagnose frost damage, options available for frosted crops an...

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist, Cindy Webster Guest Speakers: DPIRD Research Scientist Dr Dustin Severtson  In this episode of Grains Convo we talk about a serious pest of canola, and all brassica crops, the diamondback moth.  Diamondback moths lay eggs on canola plants and the emerging larvae feed on plants. In addition to damaging canola crops the diamondback moth is renowned to develop insecti...

Host: Grains Research, Development and Extension Communications Manager, Amber Atkinson Guest Speaker: DPIRD Research Scientist, Dr Yong Han In this episode of Grains Convo we speak with DPIRD Research Scientist, Dr Yong Han, about gene editing technology and  how it will influence the future of plant breeding in Australia. Gene editing technology is different to genetic modification. In this podc...

Host: Grains Research, Development and Extension Communications Manager, Amber Atkinson Guest Speaker: DPIRD Senior Plant Pathologist, Manisha Shankar Western Australian grains researchers have wrapped up a ground-breaking project resulting in 11 new wheat lines with very high levels of resistance to yellow spot. In this podcast, DPIRD Senior Plant Pathologist and Project Leader ManishaShankar dis...

Host: GGA Grains Research, Development and Extension Communications Manager, Amber Atkinson Guest Speaker: DPIRD Research Scientist, Tom Edwards In this episode DPIRD Research Scientist Tom Edwards explains the research he is undertaking in soil management to boost grains productivity. Tom is assisting with a series of trials to help growers manage soil constraints like acidity, compaction, water...

Host: DPIRD Research Agronomist, Cindy Webster Guest Speakers: DPIRD Research Scientists and Plant Pathologists, Geoff Thomas and Dr Kylie Chambers. In this episode of Grains Convo we discuss oat diseases in WA - particularly Red leather leaf (RLL) and oat leaf rust.   Plant pathologist Geoff Thomas summarises the main oat diseases found by DPIRD when conducting widespread surveillance of WA cerea...

Host: DPIRD Research Scientist, Alice Butler Guest Speakers: DPIRD Soils Research Scientist, Dr Gaus Azam Dr Gaus Azam is a Soil Scientist with DPIRD, based in Northam. He was born on a small farm in Bangladesh and went on to study agriculture in both Bangladesh and Thailand, before moving to Australia to undertake his PhD in Applied Soil Physics at the University of Adelaide.  Gaus been with DPIR...