GRDC Podcast

What the eef are EEFs? This episode dives deep into not only what EEFs are, but how they can change modern grain farming. On the face of it, they are enhanced efficiency fertilisers, but what it can mean is farmers are able to take control over fertiliser loss in their paddocks and be a lot closer to meeting global emissions targets. A four year multi-million dollar co-investment is aiming to explore how Australian grain growers can improve nitrogen use efficiency and reduce on farm greenhouse gas emissions. In this podcast we speak to project lead, Dr Arjun Pandey from The University of Melbourne and also grower, Russell Zwar who has experience using EEFs. Contact:   Dr Arjun Pandey The University of Melbourne arjun.pandey@unimelb.edu.au   More Information:   Optimising the use of enhanced fertilisers Project Investment Code: UoM2404-007RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adapting new technology on farm has always been vital to farming success. As modern Australian farming moves further into the digital age, fully automated systems are being considered and in this new Grain Automate podcast series, we'll be exploring innovative stories showing practical real-world examples of autonomy in grain farming. This episode emphasises that autonomy isn't about buying the newest robot. It's about building the right environment for automation to succeed and understanding why each change matters. Looking at the five foundational building blocks of autonomy and the structured process-first thinking required for successful implementation. Listen to Emma Leonard from AgriKnowHow, a consultancy company that specialises in helping farmers deal with change. Contact:       Dr Emma Leonard AgriKnowHow emma.leonard@bigpond.com   More Information:   https://grainautomate.grdc.com.au https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/precision-agriculture-and-machinery/are-you-ready-for-autonomy   Project Investment Code:    SPA2404-002RTX  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, mixed farmer Wayne Pech shares the sustainable farming practices he’s weaving into his business North Stirling Downs in WA’s Great Southern region; more specifically his focus on emission management, and the importance of family involvement in agriculture. Host Oli Le Lievre asks Wayne about the on-farm changes he’s made to improve water efficiency, and how his team of core staff members allows him to outsource daily tasks to his manager and free his mind to plan for the bigger picture of his business. More information GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties. GRDC Project Code: HAG2308-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, grower Tristan Baldock and agronomist Brett Masters from EPAG Research in South Australia talk about why growers on the Eyre Peninsula are trialling modification practices in a bid to combat their sandy soil constraints. Trials are taking place across more than 20 farms in the GRDC southern region, and it's all part of an ongoing co-investment between GRDC and CSIRO in collaboration with other research partners. Contacts:             Brett Masters Research Agronomist, EPAG Research brett@epagresearch.com.au   Tristan Baldock Grower tristan@karinyaag.com.au   More Information: Buckleboo Deep Ripping Trial Helping growers manage Sandy Soils   Project Investment Code:     CSP2403-017RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are new tools available for durum wheat growers, presenting opportunities to close the yield gap with bread wheat. With a major pasta processing company in South Australia, durum is particularly sought after. The average area sown over the past five years in SA has been around the 50-thousand-hectare mark, but that area is now being extended into non-traditional durum growing regions such as the southeast of the state.  With its natural genetic resistance to stripe rust and septoria tritici, and new varieties with improved yield potential, along with advanced techniques for crown rot management and weeds, durum is showing promise. In this podcast we hear from agronomist, Darcy King and local durum grower, Simon Ballinger. Contact: Darcy King Nutrien Ag darcy.king@nutrien.com.au   More Information:   https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/cereals/padthaway-durum-outclasses-bread-wheat-in-trial Trials support durum as a profitable alternative to bread wheat | GroundCover    Project Investment Code:     SAD2204-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian Longson reflects on his incredible career in the grains sector spanning 55 years, servicing farmers and agriculture businesses and passionately advocating for the industry. Through various roles in economics and policy, he’s developed a deep respect for grain farmers; not just for the value they bring to the nation’s economy, but the contribution they make to the social fabric of regional areas. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats to Ian about his childhood visits to his uncle’s dairy farm sparking a lifelong love for farming, the rapid pace of change in the grains industry and how he’s witnessed farmers move with the times and rapidly adopt the technology available to them.   More information GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties. GRDC Project Code: HAG2308-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to a survey done by the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA), 75 per cent of surveyed students say they know nothing or little about the grains industry - despite it being one of Australia’s largest exports.   In this episode, PIEFA CEO Luciano Mesiti outlines one of their key aims; to increase student knowledge and understanding through boosting teachers’ confidence with agricultural content. This is a concept shared by GRDC and reflected in their long-term relationship with PIEFA - a national not-for-profit company that advocates and works with industry groups to develop and promote the importance of food and fibre and agricultural education in schools.   Contact:  Luciano Mesiti, CEO Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) ceo@piefa.edu.au   More information: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/educational https://www.Primezone.edu.au https://www.careerharvest.com.au https://www.piefa.edu.au/ https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/industry-insights/lessons-awaken-students-interest-in-grains https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/agronomy/soil-and-nutrition/opportunities-abound-in-a-growing-industry   Project Investment code:   PIE2408-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GRDC has a rigorous process in and around how it invests. GRDC is constantly engaging with growers and looking for opportunitiesto take an idea, ground truth it and find out if there is a way to invest that will lead to a positive impact for growers. In this podcast GRDC southern panel Chair, Andrew Russell and senior regional manager for the southern region, Courtney Ramsey take us through GRDC’s process - from idea to investment. Contacts:             Courtney Ramsey Senior Regional Manager - South courtney.ramsey@grdc.com.au   Rebecca Raymond Senior Regional Manager - North rebecca.raymond@grdc.com.au Peter Bird Senior Regional Manager - West peter.bird@grdc.com.au   More Information:  GRDC investments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It doesn’t get much more marginal than Yilgarn, on the eastern fringe of WA’s wheatbelt, and it takes a certain kind of farmer to remain profitable and up for the challenge of a drying climate. Fourth generation grain farmer Clint Della Bosca has made some strategic decisions in recent years to steer his business in a more positive direction, as the next generation emerges. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Clint about the evolution of this farming practices - why he’s removed livestock from his system to focus on his cropping program and how new technology like variable rate is dramatically improving soil health and crop yields. Like many farmers, Clint is pinning his hopes on automation to help with labour shortages, but he explains the need for more technically skilled staff in the industry to keep up with changing farming operations. More information: GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties. GRDC Project Code: HAG2507-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many growers are currently facing the challenges that come with paddocks that are split. Some nearly ready for harvest, others showing significant regrowth. In this episode, we talk about the ins and outs of managing regrowth in crop during harvest and hear from Matthew Sparke, an agronomist with Sparke Agricultural and Associates based in Victoria, and harvest specialist, Kassie Van Der Westhuizen. Contacts:     Matthew Sparke Sparke Agriculture matthew@sparkeag.com.au Kassie Van Der Westhuizen One Shot Harvest office@oneshotharvest.com.au   More Information:   GRDC Harvester Guide GRDC website   Project Investment Code:  PRS2005-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Permanent tramlines in a controlled-traffic farming system offer a range of benefits including less soil compaction across the whole paddock, fuel savings, higher yields and better in-crop access. Over time, tramlines can compact deeper than the rest of the paddock and can become rutted, with ridges forming where tyres push soil to the sides of the tramline. In this episode, we’re joined by Bindi Isbister from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and grower Cameron Johnson as part of a GRDC series looking at managing soil constraints in Western Australia. Together, we talk about the process of renovating these tramlines to keep them flat and even, as well as the different machinery options to get the job done. Contact: Bindi Isbister DPIRD (WA) bindi.isbister@dpird.wa.gov.au   More information:      Permanent tramlines in CTF systems need maintenance     Renovating to prevent tramline erosion is now a key priority for CTF grower   Developing a controlled traffic (tramline) farming system Project Code: PLT2409-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much like mechanics might have cars in a less-than-ideal state, agronomists often have the messiest crops, with their attention going to their customers first. Kojonup grain farmer and agronomist Courtney Piesse isn’t too worried though, as his own agronomy business keeps the bills paid and his mind connected to the people and innovation alive in the industry. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Courtney about pivoting from his dream of being a fighter pilot to returning to ag, and his love of applying agronomy skills to care for different crops across the vast state of WA, from wheat in the Great Southern to irrigated horticulture in the far north. More information: GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties.   GRDC Project Code: HAG2507-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vibrant, colourful blooms and an attractive daisy-like appearance make them a popular choice for gardens and landscaping. But unfortunately, quick growing gazanias are actually a weed, one that's jumped the fence and is now invading the paddocks of grain growers. GRDC has identified gazania as a weed threat and is responding by investing in research to determine its distribution and abundance, review current control methods, and inform management strategies for the grains industry. In this podcast we hear from Dr Ali Bajwa, senior lecturer in weed science and agronomy at Melbourne's La Trobe University and South Australian grower Robin Schaefer on this episode. Contact:      Dr Ali Bajwa, La Trobe University a.bajwa@latrobe.edu.au Robin Schaefer, Bulla Burra Grower rsc10092@bigpond.net.au   More Information: Garden beauty turns into paddock pain Project Investment Code:   ULA2402-002RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Groundbreaking innovation tends to happen through multidisciplinary approaches and a range of expertise. That statement has never been truer than in a new national project bringing together precision technologies, remote sensing, and modern machine capabilities with knowledge of weed ecology and population dynamics to predict the emergence of weed patches across paddocks. This project is part of the Grain Automate initiative bringing together weed science expertise from the University of Western Australia and Bayer Crop Science, drone imaging technology from Australian start up InFarm, and geospatial analytics from Canadian start up Geco Agriculture. This episode features Mike Ashworth from the UWA node of the Weed Management Initiative, Tom Giles, GRDC Enabling Technologies Senior Manager, and grower John Young. Contact:       Dr Mike Ashworth  Australian Herbicide resistance initiative, University of Western Australia  mike.ashworth@uwa.edu.au     Tom Giles  GRDC  tom.giles@grdc.com.au John Young Grower and GRDC western panel member johnyoung@wmfarm.com.au   More Information: Machinery innovations to revolutionise weed controlPartenerships and vision are key to an autonomous future Geco Agriculture InFarm Bayer Crop Science   Project Investment Code:       UWA2307-005RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shannen Davies’ idyllic childhood in Geraldton gave her a deep connection to the regions, and an appreciation for the innovation and growth happening in the farming space. Knowing agriculture has an incredible story to tell, Shannen uses her role as Communications Manager at InterGrain to ensure the groundbreaking research and innovation is given the platform it deserves. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Shannen about her life-changing Nuffield scholarship journey and her infectious excitement for the grains industry, which she says is on the cusp of the next breeding revolution. GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered how to collect the perfect sample of cereal rust? This is the episode for you. Listen as Matthew Williams and Margarita Pietilainen from the Australian Cereal Rust survey team at the University of Sydney’s Plant Breeding Institute give a detailed description on how to gather and prepare rust samples from the paddock for postage. You’ll also hear from Dr Mumta Chhetri who leads the project. They analyse up to 1700 rust samples per year sent by growers and their agronomists from all over Australia, a vital GRDC investment. Contact: Dr Mumta Chhetri Research Fellow in Cereal Rust Pathology, University of Sydney mumta.chhetri@sydney.edu.au Matthew Williams Australian Cereal Rust Survey Team matthew.williams@sydney.edu.au Margerita Pietilainen Australian Cereal Rust Survey Team margerita.pietilainen@sydney.edu.au More Information: More information on the Australian Cereal Rust Survey: https://www.sydney.edu.au/science/our-research/research-areas/life-and-environmental-sciences/cereal-rust-research/rust-reports.html Visit the Australian Cereal Rust Survey 2025 Pathogen Map (interactive): https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1O9jxjzCUzlallX_981PIlJEuvWPTYvQ&ll=0%2C0&z=4 GRDC’s rust sample collection guide: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/factsheets/2025/how-to-collect-a-rust-sample Or log into https://my.grdc.com.au/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode explores the rise in fungicide resistance in Australian crops like wheat and barley by discussing work being done at Horsham Smart Farm in the Wimmera region of Victoria. Scientists from the Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN) including plant pathology research leader Dr Joshua Fanning and research scientist Melissa Cook are intentionally creating conditions to attract diseases to help decipher which varieties are more susceptible to disease. The Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN) is a GRDC investment led by Curtin University. Contact:          Dr Joshua Fanning Plant Pathology Research Leader, Agriculture Victoria Joshua.fanning@agriculture.vic.gov.au More information:       AFREN website Horsham Smart Farm Groundcover article - Finding strategies to preserve disease resistance Agriculture Victoria - Cereal disease guide 2025 GRDC - Wheat disease update- rust and Septoria Project Code: CUR2302-002RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With farming roots deep in the south coast of WA, Julianne Hill’s career path has taken many twists and turns. Supporting farmers to reach their full potential has always been her focus, and that’s helped greatly by the long-term relationships she’s built over many rides in headers and cups of tea around kitchen tables. Having led the GRDC grower networks for more than a decade, she knows the impact meaningful research can have on on-farm outcomes.  In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Julianne about the challenges of starting farming from scratch, the loss of identity she felt after selling her farm and what life after farming looks like for Julianne, which is just as energised as ever!  GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think twice when it comes to prophylactic spraying. That's the advice to southern growers this season. When disease pressure is low, reducing spraying means reducing costs. But just how should growers make the often-risky decision not to spray? To find out more we spoke to Nick Poole from FAR Australia and the Australian Fungicide Resistance Network, otherwise known as AFREN.  Contact: Nick Poole  FAR Australia & AFREN  nick.poole@faraustralia.com.au   More Information:   AFREN FAR Australia Project Investment Code: UR2302-002RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growers in Western Australia need to be on the lookout for barley scald as it is increasing in prevalence and severity, including virulence onto varieties that have previously been rated as resistant. In this podcast we talk to senior research scientists at WA's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Andrea Hills and Dr Kithsiri Jayasena about what growers can do to combat barley scald in the season ahead.  AFREN is a GRDC initiative to empower growers to mitigate the impact of fungicide resistance in Australian crops. WA DPIRD is a partner in this network, which is coordinated by the CCDM at Curtin University. Contacts:   Andrea Hills, DPRID  andrea.Hills@dpird.wa.gov.au Dr Kithsiri Jayasena, DPIRD  kithsiri.jayasena@dpird.wa.gov.au   More Information:   AFREN AFREN Management Guide Understanding Funcicide Resistance Fungicide resistance in barley     Project Investment Code:       CUR2302-002RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices