Warm conditions across much of Western Australia and variable rainfall in 2024 contributed to mixed levels of fungal disease severity in the State’s cereal, pulse and oilseed crops.

With this in mind, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in Western Australia, with investment from GRDC, is urging growers to start thinking about their integrated disease management strategies for the 2025 season as soon as possible. 

In this episode, DPIRD plant pathologist Geoff Thomas joins us to discuss the problematic diseases from 2024, and how to get ahead of them for the 2025 growing season.

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact:

Geoff Thomas 

DPIRD 

Plant pathologist 

[email protected] 

More information:

Paddock Practices: Start managing 2025 disease risks now

Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network 

Decision support tools aid disease management decisions

Project codes

DAW2104-001RTX, DAW2104-002RTX, DAW2404-005RTX

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In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Merrie Carlshausen, a former nurse turned essential advocate for farming communities in Western Australia.  

Merrie shares her journey from her beginnings in nursing to her work with rural financial counseling and the Liebe Group, where she has facilitated impactful change in farming practices and family dynamics. Merrie highlights the importance of succession planning, the role of family meetings, and the collaborative nature of farming families.  

She discusses her work with the Rural Financial Counseling Service, her contributions to the Liebe Group’s research efforts, and her commitment to empowering women and youth in agriculture. Through her stories and insights, Merrie provides invaluable advice on navigating family relationships in farming and staying adaptive to agricultural innovation. 

Download the transcript for this episode 

Watch this episode as a video on YouTube 

More information 

• Liebe Group 
• GRDC Succession Planning and Communication fact sheet 
• Rural Financial Counseling Service 

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 

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Chris Warrick and Alex Conway are part of the GRDC's grain storage extension team. Their task is to help growers with their on-farm storage, as well as undertake development activities to try and understand tools and equipment that can be used to better store grain on-farm. 

On this podcast episode, Chris and Alex talk about three topics on grain storage - fumigating and venting in grain bags, recirculation systems for large storage when fumigating with phosphine, and monitoring grain temperature in storage.  

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact: 

Alex Conway 

GRDC Grain Storage Extension Team  

[email protected]

Chris Warrick 

GRDC Grain Storage Extension Team  

[email protected]

More information: 

Stored Grain Information Hub

Project Codes: 

PRB2011-001SAX 

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In this episode, we sit down with David Tropiano, a grain farmer from Mullewa, WA, as he shares his journey from a reluctant start in farming to running a multi-generational operation.  

David opens up about the realities of farming in Western Australia, from handling different soil types and the competitive land market to the impact of weather on crops.  

He also reflects on the evolution of farming practices, the importance of long-term leasing agreements, and how he and his family are planning for the future. 

Download the transcript for this episode 

Watch this episode as a video on YouTube 

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

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According to Dr Greg Rebetzke, Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO, plant breeding is the key cornerstone of modern agriculture. Unless we have the best varieties, giving us the capacity to breed high yielding crops, then there's greater risk in farming. This podcast delves into the history of plant breeding and Dr Rebetzke brings us up to date with the latest research into breeding and explains plant genetics. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Watch the video here https://youtu.be/66ZNzwRi278  

Contact:

Dr Greg Rebetzke, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO

[email protected]

More Information:

Breeding investments

Plant Breeding: securing the world's future food production capability

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In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre speaks with Fiona Dempster, a researcher and grower from Mingenew, Western Australia. Fiona’s unique background in natural resource management and her ongoing research with the University of Western Australia bring fascinating insights into the intersection of scientific study and hands-on farming.  

Fiona shares her journey from city life in Perth to rural farm life, her work on projects that tackle herbicide resistance and risk management in grain farming, and her role in the BeefLinks project, which aims to improve cattle industry practices. Her work highlights the importance of connecting research with practical on-ground needs, and she emphasises the complex decision-making growers face every day. 

Download the transcript for this episode 

More information: 

• University of Western Australia
• BeefLinks Project
• RiskWise Project

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 

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The AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship Program provides a bursary of $5000 a year during the final two years of a degree, along with professional development, work placements and networking opportunities. 

Supported by the GRDC, the scholarship program fosters the next generation of agricultural leaders who are interested in contributing to the Australian grains industry's success. 

In this podcast, we hear from Horizon scholarship recipient, Grace Moloney on how the experience has opened doors for her professionally here in Australia and abroad. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact 

Grace Moloney, AgriFutures Horizon scholar 

[email protected]

More information 

• Cold, wet conditions an eye-opener for travelling grains scholar
• AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship

GRDC investment code 

RDC2303-002AWX

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In this episode, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Mike Ewing, a scientist with over 40 years of experience in agricultural research, particularly in farming systems, break crops and whole-farm profitability.  

Mike discusses his long-standing passion for plants and their unique adaptations, especially in the challenging environment of Western Australia's grain-growing regions. He shares insights from his career that has trotted the globe and ultimately landed him back in Western Australia to transform the agriculture industry. His research helped introduce and integrate lupins into the farming system as a sustainable legume crop. 

Through collaboration between researchers, farmers, and other stakeholders Mike believes the models and systems they work on together can drive meaningful innovation for the future. 

Download the transcript for this episode 

Watch this episode as a video on YouTube 

More information: 

• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) 
• Cottesloe Coast Care

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 

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Mouse populations across a large part of grain growing regions were higher than average across the 2021 and 2022 seasons, requiring an increased effort in mouse management from growers. 

To help Australian grain growers reduce crop losses due to mouse damage, a GRDC investment is examining mouse bait application techniques to better understand the performance and likely efficacy of various options. 

In this episode, we’re joined by agricultural research engineer Ben White who is leading the project team, as well as CSIRO mouse expert Steve Henry who starts us off with a bit of a history lesson. 

Download the transcript for this episode

Contact: 

Steve Henry, Mouse expert 

CSIRO 

[email protected] 

Ben White, Agricultural research engineer 

[email protected] 

More information: 

Bait spreading methods examined to combat mouse damage in crops 

Mouse tracking project in WA 

Project Codes: 

BVW2302-001SAX 

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In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre speaks with Steve Davies, a soil scientist and researcher based in Western Australia. Steve’s love of dirt spawned from his quirky teacher in high school. That small moment budded into a 20+ year career investigating how to make grain farming more sustainable and productive. 

In this episode, Steve explains how he collaborates with researchers, advisers and growers to address some of the west’s most challenging soil constraints. He also reflects on the evolution of the industry, crediting growers' contributions to advancements and discussing the incremental and significant changes in agricultural practices.  

Download the transcript for this episode 

Watch this episode as a video on YouTube 

More information: 

• CSIRO  
• Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) 
• University of Western Australia
• Urrbrae Agricultural High School

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

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Being an agronomist is a role with many hats, and while the in season can be demanding, with the right network and support it can be hugely rewarding work.  

In this podcast we hear from two successful agronomists that came to the profession in very different ways, Meteora Agronomic Consulting independent agronomist Liz Lobsey and Platinum Ag Services senior agronomist Matthew Howell. They have their own unique stories and recommendations for anyone starting their agronomy career. 

Download the transcript for this episode.

Contact

Liz Lobsey - Independent agronomist 

Meteora Agronomic Consulting 

[email protected]

Matthew Howell - Senior agronomist

Platinum Ag Services

[email protected]

More information 

• Help never far away in the wide-ranging agronomy network

GRDC investment code 

ORM1906-002SAX

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