SAGIT

Soil acidity is an increasing challenge across South Australia, with approximately four million hectares at risk.   In this podcast episode, Brian Hughes from SARDI discusses his research on aluminium and manganese toxicity. Brian explains how traditional reliance on pH as an indicator of toxicity can be misleading, and how his project established critical soil and plant values for aluminium, mang...

Invasive conical snails are major pests of grain crops and pastures in South Australia and are spreading, becoming a problem of national significance. They can reach extreme densities in crops leading to contamination of harvested grain, risking the reputation and market access of SA grain. In this episode of the SAGIT podcast, Dr Kym Perry from Adelaide University shares the benefits of native ve...

Agronomic information and support for growing vetch is currently limited, yet interest in it as a break crop is increasing. In this episode of the SAGIT Podcast, Stuart Nagel and Melissa McCallum from SARDI share findings from their project, which consolidated vetch agronomic knowledge, identified gaps in hay production and mixed farming systems, and improved recommendations for growers. They also...

There is growing opportunity for oats to move beyond traditional breakfast cereals and baked goods into emerging consumer markets for plant-based, healthy, fibre-enrichedfermented spoonable snacks In this podcast episode, Guisella Yarasca from SARDI shares her work developing clean-label, dairy-free fermented oat snacks. She discusses product development, sensory testing and optimisation, and expl...

Controlling crop weeds effectively requires a strategic and integrated weed management program, and harvest weed seed control is a key component. With a growing range of harvester weed seed mills now on the market, it is important for growers to understand how they perform before making a significant investment. In this episode of the SAGIT podcast, Sam Trengove from Trengove Consulting shares ins...

Pulse crops have become an increasingly important part of farming rotations across South Australia. But while plantings have increased, one crucial area has remained a mystery – root diseases. These hidden threats can devastate crops, yet knowledge had been relatively limited. In this episode of the SAGIT podcast, SARDI research scientist Blake Gontar speaks about the work being done to uncover th...

Hard wheat from South Australian growers could soon be consumed by millions across East Asia as a SAGIT and GRDC funded project looks to open up new noodle wheat markets. This project is looking to position SA as a supplier of high-value noodle wheat to Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, where demand is increasing.   In this podcast episode, AEGIC senior research scientist Dr Siem Siah explains the pr...

A simple change in seeding technique and sowing crops directly on-row can significantly improve yields in barley and lentils, particularly in saline soils. With gains of up to one tonne per hectare and gross margin benefits exceeding $800/ha, the practice offers a low-cost solution for improving crop performance in coastal regions. In this podcast episode, agronomist Sam Holmes from Central Ag Sol...

When the moratorium to grow genetically modified canola was lifted in 2020, one of the new opportunities for South Australian growers was access to herbicide-tolerant varieties and a new chemistry mode of action.   As herbicide resistance increases, particularly with glyphosate and clethodim, this SAGIT-funded project run by the Hart Field-Site Group looked at maximising the efficacy of glufosinat...

Wheat and barley yields depend upon many variables. But understanding the optimal time for flowering to maximise harvest is important, particularly as timeframes vary regionally.   SAGIT recently funded a study into the optimal flowering period for the Murray Plains region, led by Brendan Kupke, Senior Research Officer in Agronomy and Crop Sciences with the South Australian Research and Developmen...

Crown rot can cause up to 50 per cent yield loss and grain quality downgrades. It’s a disease that all producers want to a solution to.  A potential new option to combat it is a fungicide seed treatment called Victrato. While it is not yet registered, it is under evaluation by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.   In this podcast episode, agricultural scientist Dr Margare...

With larger farm sizes and variable autumn rainfall, many grain growers are increasingly reliant on early dry sowing of crops in order manage timely seeding across their cropping programs. On the Upper EP, dry spring weather and challenging soil types has increased the need for guidance on dry sowing strategies.   In this podcast episode, Amanda Cook from the SARDI Minnipa Ag Centre details her re...

Soil salinity is a billion dollar constraint on wheat production across Australia, and changes to climate, land use and water quality threaten to make the issue worse. Now researchers at the University of Adelaide, with long -term support from SA grain growers through SAGIT, are close to developing new wheat breeds that can deliver benchmark yields on saline soils.   In this podcast episode, Unive...

Saline and sodic soils are relatively widespread in South Australia, leaving many growers unable to take advantage of canola as a lucrative oilseed rotation. However, new super-high oleic acid (SHO) safflower varieties may offer an alternative crop with suitably high oil yields.   In this podcast episode, Associate Professor Rhiannon Schilling from SARDI talks about her SAGIT-supported research wh...

With five jobs for every graduate in the agriculture sector, the importance of educating the next generation of agricultural workers about career opportunities is critical. To help meet this demand, SAGIT has invested in the state’s first ever Lead Agriculture Teacher, Sue Pratt. In this podcast episode, AgCommunicators’ Sue Pratt talks about her role supporting existing teachers and helping devel...

Soilborne diseases are a significant issue for South Australian farmers. Diseases such as cereal cyst nematode, take-all and rhizoctonia can cause significant yield losses. It is estimated cereal root diseases cost grain growers in excess of $200 million annually in lost production. Much of this can be prevented, but unfortunately often goes undiagnosed and untreated. In this podcast episode, Dr K...

Recent research on Yorke Peninsula has shown significant yield gains for cereals and lentils if you sow within a centimetre of last year’s row. In this podcast episode, Dr Sean Mason from Agronomy Solutions, talks about various projects he has been involved with, including an ongoing project with Sam Holmes on the Yorke Peninsula looking at inter-row cropping. One project with Glenn McDonald looke...

Awned wheat delivers high quality grain, but the downside is, if it’s damaged by frost, it can’t be cut for feed because the spiky awns can damage animals’ throats. In this podcast episode, Dr Bertus Jacobs from Longreach Plant Breeders, talks about the development of high quality awnless varieties currently undergoing classification for release in 2025. Not only do these new varieties have attrac...

Canola yields have improved significantly in recent years, thanks to new varieties and research into how to grow them in Australian conditions. In this podcast episode, Andrew Ware, an independent agronomist with EPAG Research, talks about the deep-dive he’s taken into canola profitability research, looking at what the limits are in terms of yields and how far to push the economic viability of add...

Faba beans are one of the most commonly planted crops in the South East region of South Australia. However, there are many competing thoughts on what nutrients and fertilisers should be applied to deliver the highest yields. In this podcast episode, Adam Hancock from Elders talks about his SAGIT funded research designed to quantify nutrient and fertiliser responses, particularly of the less common...

Huge areas of cropping land in SA are planted to lentils annually, however, issues such as weed control, herbicide damage, establishment, soil toxicity, frost, moisture stress, harvestability have slowed their uptake in low rainfall and sandy soil environments. In this podcast episode, Dr Larn McMurray from Global Grain Genetics talks about his SAGIT funded research which has led to the developmen...

The risk of head-loss in barley crops is often enough of a deterrent for growers not to plant it. Finding a solution to this problem has been the focus of work undertaken by Associate Professor Matthew Tucker from the University of Adelaide. In this podcast episode, Matthew talks about a couple of SAGIT-funded projects exploring a combination of agronomy, genetics and engineering principles to try...

Agrilink agronomic consultant Mick Faulkner talks about the Frost Learning Centre which Mick manages on behalf of the Mid North High Rainfall Zone Group. The centre for farmers, advisers and researchers is a SAGIT and Grains Research and Development Corporation co-funded project with input from the Mid North High Rainfall Zone Group. ---------- On average, SAGIT invests $2 million a year in suppor...

Agronomic consultant Sam Trengove, of Trengove Consulting, talks about his SAGIT-funded work into increasing lentil productivity here in South Australia. Lentil production often underperforms on the sandy soils of the Yorke Peninsula, so the first project Sam ran sought to understand the causes of low performance and to identify cost-effective methods to boost productivity.  SAGIT then funded...

In this podcast episode, Stuart Nagel, who leads the National Vetch Breeding Program (an investment by the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, a division of the SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions), talks about a SAGIT-funded project he has led on common vetch as a break crop for marginal cropping systems. ----------...