GRDC Podcast

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Professor Andrew Barr. Andy is a valued SA local and well-known across the grains industry. He joins us to talk about his childhood memories on a mixed farm, where he developed a love for innovation, inspiring him to study agricultural science that led to a 30-year career in plant breeding. Andy shares his experiences of travelling the wo...

The southern region is experiencing its worst season of slug infestation. GRDC is so aware of the problems growers are having with slugs, that it currently has a tender out to invest further in slug research. Meantime we catch up with agronomist, Tim Pohlner and invertebrate ecologist, Dr Michael Nash to discuss trouble shooting the problem now and in future seasons.  Download the transcript for t...

🎙️ Terry is the chair of Grains Australia Limited and this year was presented with a GRDC Seed of Gold award. In this episode, Terry talks about his passion for agriculture and how he started his career in the 1970s in Mount Barker, WA. Despite challenges like the collapse of the wool industry, Terry and his peers persevered, transitioning to grain and livestock. He shares his insights into WA’s G...

Camilla Plunkett attends a demonstration day at Dalyup, WA to look at the latest in tile ploughing, a solution being used in the GRDC investment trial exploring sub-surface drainage ROI. Project officer Sophie Willsher from South Coast Natural Resource Management and grower, Rohan Marold discuss all things sub-surface drainage, including a ‘how to’ for growers; and the challenges and rewards of th...

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dr Kevin Moore. A renowned plant pathologist, Kevin was recognised in 2023 with GRDC's highest accolade - a Seed of Gold award - for his work in crop protection. His extensive 55-year career has had long-lasting effects on the grains industry, with his research outcomes and pulse disease management strategies still actively used by fellow...

Deborah Bishop finds out about the latest in canola genetics from CSIRO’s Dr Matt Nelson. Dr Nelson gives an insight into the GRDC invested genetics project exploring the key genetic traits contributing to successful canola establishment. The project also aims to provide canola breeders with improved genetics from overseas varieties and selection tools to accelerate the breeding of varieties with...

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dan Bingham. Dan runs a large-scale contracting and farming business Bingham Agriculture, from his home base in Skipton, Victoria. He loves the balance of the contracting and farming, lights up when he talks about supporting young people enter the industry and get their start, and says it's the "happy faces and good crops" that are his in...

Sarah Sanderson catches up with Tom De Mattia, from Delta Ag and learns about the 3000km GRDC funded study tour which took a group of growers and advisors from Wagga Wagga NSW to Esperance WA to learn about the similarities and differences in management strategies for each area and highlight the ‘peer-learning’ approach of growers learning from growers. Download the transcript for this episode Con...

🎙️ Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Dr Cassandra Schefe.  In the Forbes RSL using coasters and the RSL carpet as a reference, Cassie and two big names in agricultural sustainability came up with the idea for the Cool Soil Initiative, which now supports farmers explore practices to improve soil health. It's no surprise she brought such an idea to life, she grew up around far...

Deborah Bishop interviews Mechelle Owen from AHRI, Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative about herbicide resistance in weed species in Western Australia and the data collected from the GRDC funded survey conducted during the 2020 harvest. Download the transcript for this episode   Contact: Mechelle Owen AHRI, University of WA mechelle.owen@uwa.edu.au   More Information: GRDC Podcast – Annual...

Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with David "DJ" Jochinke. DJ is the vice president of the National Farmers’ Federation, third generation grain and livestock farmer and an incredibly passionate advocate for the agriculture industry. This conversation feels like one motivational pep talk and we hear all about his education journey, why he cares so much about the work he does and...

Deborah Bishop catches up with Dr Lizzy Lowe from Cesar Australia to discuss redlegged earth mite resistance and the surveillance measures being taken to develop up to date management recommendations and help with maintaining the effectiveness of current chemical control options. Download the transcript for this episode Contact Lizzy Lowe Cesar Australia llowe@cesaraustralia.com More Information G...

Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Ann McNeill. A semi-retired soil scientist Ann started life in the UK, spent time in Syria working in dryland agriculture, and landed in Australia where she’s done a lot of work and research with farmers to help improve their crops. She has fascinating stories about research, her pathway into academia and the love she found along the way – h...

Darryl Anderson comes live from Showcase Day at the Agtech and Logistics Hub in Toowoomba, Queensland. Darryl speaks with Agtech coordinator, Thomas Hall about the innovation behind some of the most current, up and coming products and services in agriculture and also catches up with participants from this year’s GroundUp, agribusiness accelerator program.  Download the transcript for this episode...

Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Lou Flohr.  Lou is a mixed cropping and livestock farmer running her enterprise alongside her parents and partner in Lameroo in the Southern Mallee of South Australia. With three young children, family is a huge part of Lou’s life, as is her commitment to ensuring women are represented in the ag sector and support for them encouraged. She is...

Darryl Anderson interviews Professor Mike Bell and Dr David Lester to find out about GRDC’s $11.9 million investment into predicting nitrogen cycles and losses in Australian cropping systems.   This video looks into the use of the APSIM farming system simulation model which measures the nitrogen cycle; and how this GRDC trial is looking to create a national data set of nitrogen loss across all reg...

Today's 'GRDC in Conversation' podcast interview is with Harm van Rees. Harm’s story starts in the Netherlands where he was raised until he was 14. Then his father got an engineering job in Australia, bringing the family with him. When his dad got another job back in the UK, Harm was not ready to leave. He studied science and biochemistry which took him all around the world, and when he got back t...

It’s estimated the Australian grains industry loses more than $350 million a year – due to insects.  GRDC has invested in the Australian Grains Pest Innovation Program (AGPIP) a joint initiative with the University of Melbourne and Cesar Australia – set up to tackle pest management problems in the grains industry.  More novel approaches and solutions pest control are needed – Associate Professor P...

Sally Maguire looks at ammonia volatilisation in depth with Associate Professor Louise Barton from the University of WA. They discuss the extended findings from a 14 month trial study and the implications for crop productivity and nitrogen use efficiency.  Contact: Louise Barton University of WA Email: louise.barton@uwa.edu.au   More Information: GroundCover article - Assessing gaseous nitrogen lo...

Deborah Bishop catches up with spray application specialist, Bill Campbell at the GRDC Western update, to discuss the awareness and understanding of making good weed spraying decisions.  Contact: Bill Campbell Consulting  bill@campbellag.com More Information: GRDC Media Release – How to get the most from your spraying program Project Code: BCC1910-001SAX  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Deborah Bishop interviews Dr. Elizabeth Petersen from the University of Western Australia about the results from a survey of four hundred West Australian grain producers. They discuss the role of agronomics, the process involved with making fertiliser decisions and strategies implemented to maximise yield potential.  Contact: Dr Elizabeth Petersen Principal Applied Economist, Advanced Choice Econo...

Sally Maguire interviews experts at the 2023 GRDC Grains research update held in Wagga Wagga. They discuss the latest advice for the season ahead. These experts include: Dr John Kirkegaard, CSIRO Dr Felicity Harris, Charles Sturt University Prof Chris Preston, Adelaide University Prof Robert Park, University of Sydney Prof James Hunt, University of Melbourne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

Deborah Bishop interviews Richard Bell from Murdoch University (SoilWest Alliance), to discuss widespread Potassium deficiencies in soils and report on the highly successful collaboration between GRDC, DPIRD, SoilsWest, Murdoch University, Summit Fertilisers and CSBP Fertilisers and key research findings for growers and advisors from a long-term field trial in Western Australia, investigating how...

Pre-emergent herbicide applications at seeding. What to apply? How? And what chemicals really don’t get along well together in the spray tank? There is a lot to know as growers approach the 2023 season.  Across the southern region, the mild and wet season last year means there’s a mighty bank of weed seeds just waiting to rear their ugly heads. There’s a range of options for pre-emergent herbicide...

Welcome to the first podcast in our new limited series focusing on Nutrition in the West. Each Friday for the next four weeks, we’ll release an additional GRDC podcast covering nutrition topics specifically for Western Australia, as growers gear up for seeding 2023. The knowledge used to guide phosphorus management in WA agriculture has its origins in field research from 20 to 60 years ago. This l...