MSF Farm Talk Podcast

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...

Looking Over the Fence Episode Title: Reshaping Sandy Soils for Crop Gains in the Mallee Hosts: Tanja Morgan & Nick Paltridge Supported by: The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Extension and Adoption Project In this episode, Tanja and Nick head to Bow Hill in South Australia’s Mallee region to share what Mallee Sustainable Farming learned from a one-off soil amelioration...

Looking Over the Fence Episode Title: Boosting Productivity on Tough Soils Hosts: Tanja Morgan & Nick Paltridge Supported by: The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Extension and Adoption Project In this episode, Tanja and Nick explore how farmers in South Australia's Northern and Yorke region are tackling soil constraints like acidity, salinity, and paddock variability using pr...

Looking Over the Fence Episode Title: Precision P for Long-Term Soil Health Hosts: Tanja Morgan & Nick Paltridge Supported by: The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Extension and Adoption Project In this episode, Tanja and Nick visit the Northern Sustainable Soils region to dig into how growers are using strip trials and variable rate technology (VRT) to make smarter phosphorus...

Looking Over the Fence Episode Title: Soil Testing That Pays in the Hills & Fleurieu Supported by: The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Extension and Adoption Project In this episode, Tanja and Nick explore how farmers in the Hills and Fleurieu region are using regular soil testing to manage constraints like acidity, salinity, and low soil biology. They unpack lessons from the...

Looking Over the Fence Episode Title: Managing Soil Variability with VRT Hosts: Tanja Morgan & Nick Paltridge Supported by: The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Extension and Adoption Project In this episode, Tanja and Nick explore how farmers in the Mid North High Rainfall Zone are using variable rate technology (VRT) to address pH and nutrient variability, improve input effi...

Looking Over the Fence Podcast Series Episode Title: Boosting Productivity on AIR EP’s Sandy Soils Hosts: Tanja Morgan & Nick Paltridge Supported by: The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Extension and Adoption Project In this episode, Tanja and Nick take us “over the fence” to the Eyre Peninsula to explore how AIR EP is helping farmers tackle tough sandy soil...

Ever caught yourself muttering, "I'm losing my mind" —half-joking, but mostly serious? In this final episode of the Farming a Growth Mindset series, Dennis Hoiberg returns for a down-to-earth, practical conversation about mental overload. He shares clear, relatable ways to hit pause, sort through the clutter, and take small steps forward when your head and heart are at capacity. This isn&rsq...