In The Paddock

Can Australian zero-till farming reduce its reliance on herbicides without going back to full-width cultivation?In this episode of In The Paddock – Field Notes, we look at emerging chemical-free weed control technologies designed to target established weeds while preserving the benefits of zero-till and conservation farming systems.We start with the Hayes Weed Chipper, an Australian-developed system that combines optical weed detection with individually controlled hydraulic tynes to physically remove weeds without cultivating the entire paddock. We then look at GRDC-backed research into other non-chemical weed control technologies, including electrical weed control, precision mechanical spot tillage, heat treatments and abrasive weed control.The key question is not whether herbicides disappear from Australian agriculture. They remain one of the most efficient weed-control tools available. The opportunity is to give growers additional modes of action for herbicide-resistant weeds, particularly survivors in fallow and low-density weed populations.Could the future sprayer or autonomous robot identify an individual weed and then choose between a herbicide nozzle, mechanical tyne, electricity or another physical treatment?That could fundamentally change how Australian growers think about herbicide resistance, zero-till weed management and precision agriculture.In this episode:Hayes Weed Chipper and optical weed detectionTargeted mechanical weed control in zero-till systemsElectrical weed control and weed electrocutionGRDC research into non-chemical weed controlPrecision agriculture and autonomous weed controlHerbicide resistance managementThe economics and limitations of physical weed destructionWhy the future may be multiple weed-kill mechanisms rather than simply new chemistryExplore the technologyHayes Weed Chipper:https://hayesspraying.com.au/weedchipper/GRDC GroundCover – autonomous and non-chemical weed control research:https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/600802/Grain-Automate-and-Digital-Agronomy.pdfIn The Paddock covers Australian agriculture, agronomy, ag technology, farm business, machinery, research and the emerging technologies likely to shape farming in the years ahead.Keywords: Australian agriculture, zero till farming, no till farming, chemical free weed control, non chemical weed control, Hayes Weed Chipper, WEED-IT, GRDC, GroundCover, herbicide resistance, glyphosate resistance, electrical weed control, weed electrocution, precision agriculture, autonomous farming, robotic weed control, fallow weed control, broadacre farming, Australian grain farming, sustainable agriculture, agronomy, farm technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Diesel prices are surging just as Australian growers prepare for harvest.In this episode of In The Paddock, we look at what is happening in global diesel markets, why refined fuel is under more pressure than crude oil alone, and what that means for Australian agriculture heading into one of the most fuel-intensive periods of the year.We cover Australia’s reliance on imported fuel, the impact of refinery disruptions and geopolitical tensions, what higher diesel prices could do to farm margins, and why harvest creates a unique fuel-security risk.Most importantly, this isn’t just about identifying the problem. We also look at what growers can do now to improve their position — from calculating likely harvest fuel demand and reviewing storage, to speaking with suppliers, planning contingencies and reducing avoidable fuel use.The bigger question is whether Australian agriculture can become less vulnerable to global diesel shocks in the future.Because a header doesn’t burn crude oil.It burns diesel.And when refining gets tight, agriculture feels it quickly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could Australia actually run out of diesel?Australia depends heavily on imported diesel to keep farms, trucks, mines and freight moving. In this episode of In The Paddock, we look at how exposed that system is — and what happens when major exporters start putting their own domestic fuel security first.We unpack China’s October fuel export suspension, Russia’s diesel restrictions, and the recent threat of a US diesel export ban. We also explain why American export policy can affect Australia even when Australia does not buy much diesel directly from the US.The episode covers:where Australia gets its dieselhow much of our fuel is importedwhy South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and India matterhow Middle Eastern crude feeds the Asian refineries Australia relies onwhy a US diesel export ban could tighten the global markethow an export ban could even reduce US refinery outputwhy Australia exports most of its own crude while importing refinery feedstockAustralia’s strategic fuel reserves and remaining refineriesthe potential role of biodiesel, renewable diesel and Australian canolawhere farm electrification makes sensethe future potential of diesel-electric tractorsand what farmers can do on-farm to improve their own fuel securityAustralia is not currently running out of diesel. But recent events have shown how quickly international policy decisions can change global fuel flows.The bigger question is whether Australia has enough resilience when the next shock arrives.Read the full article, charts, maps and sources at inthepaddock.au.In The Paddock covers Australian agriculture, farm business, technology, markets, machinery and policy — with a focus on what global developments actually mean at farm level.#AustralianAgriculture #Diesel #FuelSecurity #Farming #FarmBusiness #Agriculture #DieselPrices #EnergySecurity #AustralianFarmers #Biodiesel #Canola #FarmMachinery #AgTech #GlobalMarkets #InThePaddock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could grazing sheep and cattle around solar panels and wind turbines put Australian meat exports at risk?Claims have been circulating that livestock raised around renewable energy infrastructure could face restrictions from overseas markets. But where did the story come from — and has any country actually threatened to ban Australian beef or lamb?In this episode of In The Paddock, Martin Murray traces the rumour back through changes to Australia’s Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program, parliamentary debate and concerns about contamination from renewable energy infrastructure.We look at what LPA actually requires, why solar panels and wind turbines were specifically mentioned in its contamination risk assessment, whether livestock grazing around solar farms need to be declared, and whether major Australian meat markets including China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, United Kingdom and European Union have introduced or proposed restrictions.There is also a bigger question: while the evidence for an overseas “solar-grazed meat ban” is lacking, could ageing or damaged renewable infrastructure create legitimate food safety, residue or market-access risks in the future?This episode separates what is documented from what appears to be speculation — and traces how a genuine LPA change evolved into a much bigger claim about Australian agricultural exports.Topics: Australian agriculture, solar farms, agrivoltaics, sheep grazing, cattle, beef exports, lamb exports, renewable energy, wind farms, LPA accreditation, food safety, contamination, agricultural policy and Australian farming.In The Paddock explores the forces shaping Australian agriculture — from agronomy and emerging technology to markets, policy and global food security. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we talk with Jonathan Richetti of the CSIRO, exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming agriculture outside of the paddock. We explore how it is being used to enhance plant breeding, make highly accurate yield predictions and fertilizer recommendations as well as exploring the future of this technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.