The Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) seeder demonstration day was held in April 2019 to compare six commercially-available conventional seeders and precision planters in establishing canola at two sowing rates. In this podcast, the GRDC’s Andrew Etherton talks through the event and the GRDC investment behind it - a four-year industry collaboration aiming to increase the profitability of growers in Australia’s southern and western grain producing areas.

Monitoring a crop is an integral part of a growers integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. Not only does it reveal if any damage is occurring, it also helps in determining pest and beneficial presence and abundance. In this podcast, agronomist Phil Bowden explores these insect monitoring methods in detail, to help growers and advisors make an informed risk assessment and to decide if chemical control is warranted.

Grain yields in the high-rainfall zone (HRZ) have always posed a paradox, remaining far lower than modelling had predicted. However, that is now changing as a result of a comprehensive new research program covering farm-management practices, soil nutrition and plant biology and the development of tools that are helping to better predict the yield and economic benefits of applying inputs in the high-rainfall zone.

It’s actually not about luck. Controlling Crown Rot is about good management. On this podcast, senior plant pathologist, Andrew Milgate, from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, explains that the control of Crown Rot in southeastern Australia needs a specific strategy to prevent inoculum levels climbing to the point that reducing the impact of the disease could take years.

On this podcast Tasmanian grower and Southern Panel member Michael Chilvers discusses the major constraints to cereal production in high rainfall areas, and how he is using the latest germplasm research and fungicide management strategies to help achieve the potential yield for his region.

Winter wheat varieties allow wheat growers in the Southern Region to sow much earlier than currently practised, meaning a greater proportion of farm can be sown on time. The GRDC’s Management of Early Sown Wheat project focuses on which varieties have the best yield, adaptation in different environments and their optimal sowing window. Associate Professor at La Trobe University, James Hunt, is involved in the project and talks us through the results of an experiment and their significance for growers.

Managing herbicide resistant weeds has become a major concern for grain growers, especially in the northern region which has the highest number of glyphosate resistant weed species. These are mainly summer weed species. It was for this reason that GRDC invested in the tactical tillage project and called for a non-chemical means of weed control for use in an integrated weed management system.

The Regional Cropping Solutions Network encourages West Australian grain growers to voice local farming concerns and put forward research ideas to help increase grower profitability in their local port zone. In this podcast, WA grain grower and western region RCSN co-ordinator, Julianne Hill outlines the network’s collaborative structure and how it makes the best use of the Grains Research and Development Corporation's investment of grower R&D dollars.

The push to develop perennial cereals suitable for the Australian landscape is gathering pace with longevity of a new generation of plants being a key focus of researchers. On this podcast Matthew Newell from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) takes us into the heart of ongoing trial work at the Cowra Research Station.

In this podcast, CSIRO’s Steve Henry outlines the research he has been doing with mice in cropping systems. Part of that project, which GRDC has invested in, involves bait trials aimed at getting better uptake of Zinc Phosphide the chemical used in mouse baits.

Svetlana Micic is DPIRD’s Albany based entomologist and has been running snail baiting trials with local farmers and researching snail reproduction. In this podcast, Svetlana talks specifically about the snail problem and what baiting strategies growers should use to help manage this crop pest issue.

Maximising the benefit derived from applied fertiliser has never been more important as nutrient demands increase. Researchers in southern central NSW have tested several different nitrogen application methods and their findings challenge the current industry practice. On this podcast, NSW DPI researcher Graeme Sandral discusses work undertaken over several years and the resulting conclusion that mid row banding of nitrogen has proved to be the most cost efficient application method.

Sclerotinia stem rot costs western and southern canola growers around $59 million dollars in crop losses annually. In today’s podcast, Dr Lars Kamphuis from the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) shares the latest research on pre-breeding efforts to develop resistant varieties.

Fungicide Resistance in cereal crops such as barley could become as significant an issue for the Australian grains industry as Herbicide resistance in weeds. Powdery Mildew alone costs many millions a year in crop yield losses according to the industry. Researchers at the Centre for Crop Disease Management, a national research centre co-supported by WA’s Curtin University and the Grains Research & Development Corporation are leading the way in developing new technology and fungicide management strategies to address fungicide resistance in grain crops.

Following a dry 2018 what is the likelihood of disease risk this season. According to the experts, the risk of disease this year can not be ignored. On this podcast, Agriculture Victoria scientists, Grant Hollaway and Joshua Fanning, outline the risks and how to minimise them over the coming months.

Just how close is Australia’s grains industry to being able to incorporate robotics into a weed control program? Well a lot closer than perhaps many people think. On this podcast we speak with Guy Coleman from Sydney University on the practical advancements in the field of robotics and discover that making face recognition software applicable to weeds is one of the final hurdles.

Impact of cotton production on grain production in the north.Transitioning from dryland cotton back into a cereal or pulse crop can be problematic for growers with residual issues associated with the harvested cotton crop. On this program Jon Baird from NSW DPI at Narrabri discusses trials he has undertaken on differing sowing options following a cotton crop.

Early sowing of canola has clear advantages as is reflected by the number of growers choosing to position their canola seeding program first. On this podcast, NSW DPI Agronomist, Col McMaster outlines the latest research findings and reminds us of the key issues to consider.

In this podcast, Wayne Parker, from Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Soil Compaction project leader, talks to Lucinda Jose about the causes of soil compaction and the outcomes from the Soil Constraints West project that growers can adopt to improve their soils.

In this podcast, Dr Stephen Davies from WA’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development talks to Lucinda Jose about outcomes from the Soil Constraints West project that can help growers better manage water-repellent soils.

In this podcast Dana Mulvany, a research officer from Western Australia’s Dept of Primary Industries and Regional Development, talks about her work researching sodic soils in low rainfall environments and the impact of water harvesting on crop yields.

When used strategically, soil amelioration can help grain growers overcome a suite of soil and agronomic constraints, including acidity, water repellence and high weed populations.In this podcast the focus is on crop establishment challenges after soil amelioration, including the use of pre-emergent herbicides.

Western Australian grain growers face a lot of constraints when it comes to the soils they work to grow the grain we demand.In this podcast we’ll look back at the recently concluded Soil Constraints West project, a GRDC 5 year investment to improve soil structure and health, thereby lifting productivity and growers’ profitability.

In frost-prone areas, it is important to have a comprehensive frost management strategy as part of annual farm planning. In this podcast, Dr Ben Biddulph from Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) shares his considerations and pre-seeding checklist for grain growers.

Inspired by what he saw a neighbouring doing and with GRDC's investment in the Soils Constraints West project & DPIRD support, Corrigin based grain grower Simon Wallwork bought a mouldboard plough from the UK and began a soil amelioration program that is resulting in improved water penetration and better grain yields.