GRDC Podcast

Farmers in blackleg prone areas of Australia are generally competent in managing the disease in their canola crops. That is until the recent advent of blackleg infection of the upper canopy. This new way blackleg has developed ways to attack canola crops is the focus of this podcast featuring Steve Marcroft from Marcroft Pathology. Contact: Steve Marcroft 03 5381 2294 0409 978 941 steve@grainspath...

Valuable frost research is equipping grain growers with practical information on how to identify frost damage in cereal crops. In this podcast WA Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development research officer, Dr Ben Biddulph, discusses what to look for, when and where, to identify frost damage. According to Dr Biddulph grain growers need to be alert, but not alarmed about frost, and kno...

With water such a valuable commodity nowadays, it’s little wonder that irrigators ask themselves whether they are better off selling their water or using it to grow out a crop. It’s a tough question. So GRDC last year asked the Irrigated Cropping Council to see if they could come up with some answers. Contact: Damian Jones 0409 181 099 Damian.jones@irrigatedcroppingcouncil.com.au Learn more about...

Blackleg is a common yet economically serious canola disease in Western Australia (WA). While it has the potential to cause severe yield loss, the good news is that it can be successfully managed. Dr Ravjit Khangura from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is an expert in this area, and advocates an integrated disease management approach. Dr Khangura joins Deb Bis...

Diamondback Moth is an occasional pest of canola, but severe infestations of adults and/or caterpillars can cause up to 80 per cent yield losses in canola and other brassica crops. This pest can also rapidly develop insecticide resistance and an integrated pest management plan is advised for sustainable control. Further information: Dusty Severtson Research Officer – Department of Primary Industri...

Trials are underway to determine accurate control thresholds for Russian Wheat Aphid under Australian conditions. The national trials are also looking at the potential impact of the insect on Australian yields. On this podcast, SARDI Entomologist Maarten van Helden discusses this important work. Contact: Maarten van Helden, SARDI maarten.vanhelden@sa.gov.au Resources: Russian wheat aphid green bri...

This episode is focussed on the second research component of the Frost Mapping project, assessing frost damage before its visible to the naked eye, using the Electromagnetic spectrum. This is a collaborative project involving Mick Faulkner, the University of Western Australia, Agriculture Victoria and grain growers, including David Mitchell from Mintaro in South Australia’s north eastern grain gro...

A research effort led by CSIRO, with GRDC investment, has developed a modeling tool that could in future years help growers rapidly understand the extent of crop damage following a frost event to aid with timely decision-making post-frost. The Frost Mapping project is one of a number of projects related to GRDC’s key investment target strategy for frost. Further information: David Gobbett Senior E...

Using a GRDC/RCSN ‘local project’ investment into tactical fungicide use involving a local western region farm adviser is addressing the issue of managing spot form of net blotch (SFNB) in barley crops. This disease is a R&D priority for the Regional Cropping Solutions Network Kwinana West (RCSN) group and for the GRDC Western Regional Panel. This podcast highlights how local research results are...

Glyphosate resistance is on the rise in Australia’s grain growing regions. With 17 key weed species already identified as resistant, sustainable herbicide practices have never been so important. In this podcast Andrew Storrie from AGRONOMO discusses what herbicide resistance (or susceptibility) testing options are available to WA growers. Further information: Andrew Storrie PO Box 5944 Albany WA 6...

Grain growers in Tasmania could be averaging cereal yields of 7 tonnes per hectare. The top 10 percent of those growers could be doing double that tonnage. This is a major outcome the Hyper Yielding Cereals project wants to see after 5 years of Research, Development and Extension. This podcast will take you to Hagley in northern Tasmania where the GRDC has invested in a major trial to lift feed wh...

Researchers at the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries are testing the law of unintended consequences – in this case whether wheat varieties that stay greener longer are also prolonging the feeding of aphids on wheat plants. On this podcast, Entomologist, Melina Miles and her team take us into the tiny world of aphids. Contact: Melina Miles Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (D...

After identifying a need to lift cereal yields to take advantage of the extensive soil amelioration work that’s been happening in Western Australia and newfound opportunities to sow early crops, a group of innovative Esperance growers were keen to investigate options. Quenten Knight a member of the Soil Constraints West steering committee and an agronomist with Agronomy Focus in Esperance put toge...

For many central western NSW grain growers in 2018, the decision to graze their cereal crops reaped big rewards. But it’s not as simple as letting a mob of sheep loose on your best farming paddock. On this podcast, Peter Matthews, a Technical Specialist with the NSW Department of Primary Industries discusses the tactical and strategic decisions you need to take for a successful cereal grazing prog...

The Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) seeder demonstration day was held in April 2019 to compare six commercially-available conventional seeders and precision planters in establishing canola at two sowing rates. In this podcast, the GRDC’s Andrew Etherton talks through the event and the GRDC investment behind it - a four-year industry collaboration aiming to increase the profitability of growers in Aus...

Monitoring a crop is an integral part of a growers integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. Not only does it reveal if any damage is occurring, it also helps in determining pest and beneficial presence and abundance. In this podcast, agronomist Phil Bowden explores these insect monitoring methods in detail, to help growers and advisors make an informed risk assessment and to decide if chemical c...

Grain yields in the high-rainfall zone (HRZ) have always posed a paradox, remaining far lower than modelling had predicted. However, that is now changing as a result of a comprehensive new research program covering farm-management practices, soil nutrition and plant biology and the development of tools that are helping to better predict the yield and economic benefits of applying inputs in the hig...

It’s actually not about luck. Controlling Crown Rot is about good management. On this podcast, senior plant pathologist, Andrew Milgate, from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, explains that the control of Crown Rot in southeastern Australia needs a specific strategy to prevent inoculum levels climbing to the point that reducing the impact of the disease could take years. Contact: Dr Andrew...

Hagley in northern Tasmania is the site of an extensive trial dedicated to helping the state’s grain growers to achieve higher yields of quality feed grain. It’s also the location of an annual field day that showcases its research into new cereal lines and agronomy strategies to lift feed grain productivity. On this podcast Tasmanian grower and Southern Panel member Michael Chilvers discusses the...

Winter wheat varieties allow wheat growers in the Southern Region to sow much earlier than currently practised, meaning a greater proportion of farm can be sown on time. The GRDC’s Management of Early Sown Wheat project focuses on which varieties have the best yield, adaptation in different environments and their optimal sowing window. Associate Professor at La Trobe University, James Hunt, is inv...

Managing herbicide resistant weeds has become a major concern for grain growers, especially in the northern region which has the highest number of glyphosate resistant weed species. These are mainly summer weed species. It was for this reason that GRDC invested in the tactical tillage project and called for a non-chemical means of weed control for use in an integrated weed management system. Answe...

The Regional Cropping Solutions Network encourages West Australian grain growers to voice local farming concerns and put forward research ideas to help increase grower profitability in their local port zone. In this podcast, WA grain grower and western region RCSN co-ordinator, Julianne Hill outlines the network’s collaborative structure and how it makes the best use of the Grains Research and Dev...

The push to develop perennial cereals suitable for the Australian landscape is gathering pace with longevity of a new generation of plants being a key focus of researchers. On this podcast Matthew Newell from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) takes us into the heart of ongoing trial work at the Cowra Research Station. Matthew discusses the significance of home grown Australian perenni...

In this podcast, CSIRO’s Steve Henry outlines the research he has been doing with mice in cropping systems. Part of that project, which GRDC has invested in, involves bait trials aimed at getting better uptake of Zinc Phosphide the chemical used in mouse baits. The podcast was recorded during a break between sessions at the Bendigo Update and starts with an update on the situation in the paddocks...

A new online publication is available for Western Australia’s southern grain growers who have a snail, slug or slater problem in their crops. Crop damage caused by Gastropods and slaters has increased over the past decade and the Albany and Esperance port zone GRDC Regional Cropping Solution Network has identified the issue as an R&D priority. So the Stirlings to Coast Farmers grower group, indepe...