GRDC Podcast

Welcome to GRDC’s National Variety Trials, or NVT, new variety podcast series, where Australia's leading breeding companies share their latest releases for the 2026 growing season. When it comes to choosing the right variety, NVT is the only independent variety information source trusted by Australian growers. In GRDC's 2025 grower survey, nine out of 10 growers accessed NVT information, and 94 per cent of those said it influenced their variety selection. Every variety featured in this podcast has been trialled through NVT, the largest independent trial program in the world. This podcast focuses on wheat. There is a separate podcast for other crops, including barley, canola and chickpea.  Contact: LongReach Plant Breeders  Australian Grain Technologies (AGT)  Australian Grain & Forage Seeds (AGF Seeds)  RAGT  InterGrain  More Information: You can find out more information about the varieties featured in this podcast at www.nvt.grdc.com.au , alongside individual breeder websites.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to GRDC’s National Variety Trials, or NVT new variety podcast series, where Australia's leading breeding companies share their latest releases for the 2026 growing season. When it comes to choosing the right variety, NVT is the only independent variety information source trusted by Australian growers. In GRDC's 2025 grower survey, nine out of 10 growers accessed NVT information, and 94 per cent of those said it influenced their variety selection. Every variety featured in this podcast has been trialled through NVT, the largest independent trial program in the world. This podcast focuses on barley, canola, and chickpea. There's a separate podcast for wheat.  Contacts: Australian Grain Technologies (AGT)  InterGrain  Australian Grain & Forage Seeds (AGF Seeds)  Pioneer  BASF AustraliaNuseed  Nutrien Ag Solutions (Dyna-Gro)  NSW Department of Primary Industries (Chickpea Breeding Australia)  More Information: You can find out more information about the varieties featured in this podcast at www.nvt.grdc.com.au , alongside individual breeder websites.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to storing fertiliser on-farm, small mistakes can turn into big problems. In this GRDC podcast, Grain Storage Extension Team member, Ben White shares practical advice on the dos and don’ts of fertiliser storage. From choosing quality product and limiting handling, through to managing moisture and avoiding dangerous silo blockages. He also highlights the safety risks growers need to be aware of, and where to find trusted resources to help with planning ahead.  Contact: Ben White  Grain Storage Extension Team   ben@storedgrain.com.au    More Information:   GRDC publication Investing in fertiliser storage infrastructure, authors Cussons Media and Fertiliser Australia   Project Investment Codes:  CMP2202-001SAX PRB2412-001SAX  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter what crop you grow, or livestock you run, the soil beneath your boots is the foundation of your farm's productivity, profitability, and long-term sustainability. And while soil has always been a cornerstone for grain growers, there's never been a consistent way to define, measure, monitor, or report on soil health in Australia. That's why GRDC has invested in the development of a national Soil Health Framework to close this gap and give growers the tools they need to manage soil more effectively. The work is being led by CSIRO in collaboration with a network of research partners. To find out more, this podcast features project lead, CSIRO's Dr Mark Farrell, Dr Stirling Roberton, who is a research scientist, also at CSIRO, and from the University of Western Australia, Emeritus Professor Lynette Abbott.   Contacts: Dr Mark Farrell  Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO  Mark.farrell@csiro.au   Dr Stirling Roberton  Research Scientist, CSIRO  Stirling.Roberton@csiro.au    Lynette Abbott  Emeritus Professor, University of Western Australia  lynette.abbott@uwa.edu.au    More Information: National Blueprint to standardise soil health across Australian agriculture Development of a soil health framework for Australian agricultural production systems Project Investment Code: CSP2504-015RTX  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growers around the Eradu area of Western Australia's northern growing region have been deep ripping for many years. Now they're going back and re-ripping for a second, third, fourth, and even fifth time with different machinery as it has progressed over the years. It's all about getting highly alkaline surface soil down deeper in the profile to address subsoil acidity, and at the same time, managing compaction to greater depths. This episode features Craig Topham from Agrarian Management and is part of a five-part GRDC series looking at managing soil constraints in Western Australia. Craig has three clients in the Eradu area, all aiming to achieve the same result, but doing it with different machinery and varied approaches.  *A note for listeners. This podcast does not cover all products in the market. Different products may have different costs and benefits.    Contact: Craig Topham  Agrarian Management  craig@agrarian.com.au    More Information: Agrarian   Project Investment Code: PLT2409-001SAX  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fungicide resistance is a serious threat to cropping. When all available registered fungicides are no longer effective at managing disease, options for widespread disease control become limited, and the result is high yield losses. So, when a gateway mutation, the first step toward fungicide resistance in wheat powdery mildew (WPM), was detected in samples collected in Western Australia, alarm bells went off. In this episode we speak to Andrea Hills, research scientist with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in Western Australia, about what growers can do to help.  This podcast is a part of the Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN).  Contact: Andrea Hills  Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development  Andrea.hills@dpird.wa.gov.au   More  Information: Potential for fungicide resistance detected in Experance wheat powdery mildew   Project Investment Code: CUR2302-002RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't wait until harvest to consider how you are going to protect your stored grain. That's the message from GRDC's stored grain extension team. When it comes to grain storage, the more you invest in pre-harvest preparation, the better the outcome. This episode features Chris Warrick from the Stored Grain Extension Team who talks about the most important strategies to implement.   Contact: Chris Warrick Stored Grain Storage Extension Team chris@storedgrain.com.au    More  Information: 2024 Webinar - Pre-harvest grain storage health check   2024 story - Give grain storage a pre-harest health check 1800 WEEVIL Stored Grain Phosphine best management practices     Project Investment Code: PRB2412-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you want to nail those snails in the crop? Well, naming those snails is the first step. In this episode, Prue Adams is in York Peninsula, on the snail trail and speaking with Dr Kym Perry, research fellow in entomology at the University of Adelaide. He goes into detail about the four main snail culprits in crops, how to identify, and what to do about them. Contact: Dr Kym Perry The University of Adelaide 0421 788 357 More Information: Nail The Snails Snail Management Project Investment Code: UOA2205-005RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At just one millimetre long, redlegged earth mites are tiny, but that doesn't stop them from causing significant damage across Australia, especially in regions with cool, wet winters. To find out how growers can best manage this pest – we talk to Dr Paul Umina from Cesar Australia. The project ' Leading practice management of the Redlegged earth mite (RLEM)' is a GRDC investment that is led by Cesar Australia alongside other project partners.   Contact: Paul Umina  Cesar Australia  Pumina@cesaraustralia.com    More Information: Redlegged earth mite best management practice guide Cesar Australia   Project Investment Code: CES2503-001RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oli Le Lievre interviews Andrew and Marie Fowler about their innovative farming practices in Esperance, Western Australia. The Fowlers, who met through Andrew's Nuffield Scholarship, have expanded their family farm significantly. They focus on crop-livestock rotations, emphasizing no-till farming and crop grazing. Andrew discusses their current drainage project, which involves installing tile pipes to mitigate waterlogging and improve crop yields. The Fowlers also highlight the importance of community collaboration and the challenges of managing a large workforce.    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

Justine Baillie and Michael Scobie are the co-leads of the Ag Technology Adoption program at the University of Southern Queensland. They’re trialling and investigating a range of different types of technology to help growers boost crop quality and yield, in a bid to revolutionise farming. The project is providing tools and capacity for drought preparedness through the integration of digital technologies, data management, artificial intelligence and smart machinery including drones. The program is a collaboration between GRDC, the University of Southern Queensland (SQNNSW Drought and Innovation Hub) and Qld Cropping Research (QCR).  Contacts: Michael Scobie, Program Director  Co-Lead, Ag Tech Adoption team   University of Southern Queensland  Michael.Scobie@unisq.edu.au  Justine Baillie, Lecturer  Co-Lead, Ag Tech Adoption team   University of Southern Queensland  Justine.Baillie@unisq.edu.au    More Information: Find out more about USQ Bachelor of Agricultural Technology and Management Ag Tech Adoption team can be contacted    Video: Changing the game: On farm agtech solutions   Project Investment Code: USQ2211-002RMX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At GRDC's National Grower Network (NGN) forums, growers have been asking for information about the cost of inorganic P fertilisers and potential lower cost options of organic P fertilisers. A GRDC investment to explore this topic has delivered some interesting outcomes and to find out the details we speak to Maurie Street from the Grain Orana Alliance, and Dr Tim McLaren from the University of Queensland.    Contacts: Maurie Street  CEO, Grain Orana Alliance  maurie.street@grainorana.com.au    Dr Timothy McLaren  Senior Lecturer in Soil Science, The University of Queensland   tim.mclaren@uq.edu.au   Project Investment Codes: GOA2006-001RTX, UOQ2203-006RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ash Wiese is a farmer, food producer and agribusiness innovator from Western Australia. In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Ash to explore his fascinating journey from studying accounting to returning to his family farm and revolutionising the way grains are marketed. Ash shares insights from his Nuffield Australia Scholarship, highlighting lessons learned from global agricultural leaders and how he applies them to his own farming enterprise.  Throughout the conversation, Ash discusses his transition from bulk commodity production to more value-added, consumer-connected approaches, particularly through his work in the quinoa and oat industries. He talks about the importance of fostering direct relationships with processors and consumers, creating more sustainable and profitable markets and the challenges of navigating the global food industry.    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

We know Brolga and Kookaburra are great Australian birds but they are also the names of two new, game changing varieties of mungbeans. To find out how growers can access these higher yielding mungbean varieties, we speak to Queensland Department of Primary Industries principal plant breeder, Dr Merrill Ryan. Also during this podcast we talk to Allora grower, Tim Thorne, who is considering the varieties for his next rotation.    Contact: Dr Merrill Ryan, Principal Scientist: Crop Genetics  QLD Department of Primary Industries  merrill.ryan@daf.qld.gov.au    More  Information:  Flying high with two new mugbean varieties brolga and kookaburra Variety Management Packages Setting up your mungbean crop for success   Project Investment Code: DAQ2201-004RTX  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Witham is a research agronomist in Western Australia and has a passion for broad acre cropping. She’s also the 2025 recipient of GRDC'S “Emerging Leader Award” in the West. So far, Kate’s career highlight has been her role as the SLR lead working on GRDC’s Long Coleoptile Wheat project, led by CSIRO. She's a dynamic operator in the industry, helping growers reap the benefits of her ongoing research across agricultural regions of Western Australia, and around the country. Contact:  Kate Witham Research Agronomist, SLR Agriculture kate_witham@outlook.com More information:  Western Seed of Light, Emerging Leader announced at GRDC Update Visit https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grdc/awardsscholarships/western-seed-of-light,-emerging-leader-announced-at-grdc-update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Brad Egan, a forward-thinking grain grower from Esperance, Western Australia. Brad shares insights into the evolution of his family farm, the challenges of farming in a changing climate, and how data-driven decision-making is helping to improve productivity despite declining rainfall.  From using drones to optimise spraying efficiency to a long-term soil amelioration project that has transformed low-performing soils into some of the best on the farm, Brad discusses the power of innovation in agriculture. He also highlights the importance of precision agriculture, farm data management, and the role of technology in the future of farming.  Additionally, Brad talks about his involvement in supplying barley to Lucky Bay Brewery, bringing local produce to craft beer, and the potential of AI and automation in shaping the next generation of Australian farming.    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

Precision weed management is where optical sensors and remote and sensor weed mapping systems are used to target weeds and therefore cut herbicide costs. The technology is becoming more widely available, which is why GRDC is investing in a series of case studies, to explore the benefits and costs related to these technologies. With green on brown systems, weeds can be detected in a fallow field. And now there's also green on green technology, which uses an algorithm to differentiate between weeds and crops. Tim Rethus operates a zero till cropping business in Horsham in Victoria's Wimmera region. Tim's invested in both green on brown and green on green technology. We caught up with Tim to find out more about his decision to integrate these systems into his farming practices, and whether he thinks the return on investment has been worth it.  Contact: Tim Rethus, Grower  tim.rethus@gmail.com    More in Precision weed management series:   Video, Green on green case study  Podcast, Green on brown case study  Video, Green on brown case study  Podcast, Drone weed mapping case study  Video, Drone weed mapping case study    Project Investment Code: SRE2310-001SAX  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Australian canola crops, turnip yellows virus is the one of the most widespread and economically damaging viruses, and over the past decade, epidemics have commonly occurred in different regions causing considerable losses.   Turnip yellows virus is particularly challenging to manage because it is transmitted by green peach aphid and needs just a few aphids per plant to cause substantial spread.  A GRDC investment led by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in Western Australia has been looking at management options and developed new data and guidelines around seed treatments and foliar insecticides.  In this episode, we’re joined by senior research scientist Ben Congdon to find out more.  Contact:  Ben Congdon, DPIRD  benjamin.congdon@dpird.wa.gov.au    More information:   Turnip yellows virus and its vector, the green peach aphid, in canola: the 2024 epidemic in southern New South Wales and management options Green peach aphid - best management practice guide    Project Codes:   DAW2305-003RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Callum Wesley, a third-generation farmer from Southern Cross, WA. They discuss Callum’s innovative approach to farming in a low-rainfall zone and his journey collaborating with researchers that has led to a nationwide research project which could revolutionise seeding strategies for dryland farmers across Australia. Callum shares his journey from working in agricultural research to returning home and implementing cutting-edge techniques that maximise water use efficiency and improve productivity in challenging conditions.   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

GRDC, CSIRO and University of South Australia have done a lot of work on how to deal with the sandy soil situation. Hot off the back of a huge investment, culminating in a series of workshops in 2023, they're scaling up, taking the machines and expertise to more than 20 farms across the southern region. It's a project with a great deal of grower involvement and targeted to making that sandy stuff work for growers, not against them. In this podcast we speak to CSIRO research team leader, Therese McBeath and South Australian grower Andrew Thomas.  Contact: Therese McBeath, CSIRO therese.mcbeath@csiro.au    More  Information: Practical guidelines for sustained productivity in sandy soils     Project Investment Code: CSP2403-017RTX  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices