Published by Grains Research and Development Corporation
GRDC podcasts cover the latest grains research, development and extension knowledge and outcomes to help grain growers improve their profitability.
Listen on Apple PodcastsHow similar is herbicide resistance in Canada compared to Australia? Research Fellow and weed scientist at the University of Western Australia, William Kramer, shares his global perspective on this challenging issue for growers and his journey in genomics research to better understand what genes are involved in resistance. William is part of the GRDC Weed Management Initiative research team, run in partnership with The University of Western Australia, The University of Adelaide, Charles Sturt University and The University of Queensland. Contact: William Kramer University of Western Australia william.kramer@uwa.edu.au More information: https://www.ahri.uwa.edu.au/us-phd-graduate-to-join-ahri-to-deliver-herbicide-technology-program/ Investment code: SPP2502-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Growers and agronomists in the southern cropping region discuss how they are maximising their dual-purpose crops using the information found in the GRDC publication “20 Tips for dual-purpose crops”. This practical guide is the result of a GRDC investment led by CSIRO. Hear from growers Ben Lane, Max O’Connor and Brad Cavanagh as well as Delta Agribusiness agronomists, Tim Condon and Ben Lenehan. Contacts: Tim Condon Delta Agribusiness tcondon@deltaag.com.au Ben Lenehan Delta Agribusiness blenehan@deltaag.com.au More information: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/publications/2025/20-tips-for-dual-purpose-crops https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/farm-business/business-management/dual-purpose-canola-adds-$1.6-billion-to-farmers-returns https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grower-stories/national/dual-purpose-crops-drive-mixed-farm-resilience https://www.deltaag.com.au/ Project/Investment Code: CSP2106-009RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do you know if it’s worth spraying fungicide on canola to keep diseases like Sclerotinia at bay? Maurie Street, from Grain Orana Alliance in Dubbo and Rohan Brill from Brill Ag in the Riverina, have been conducting field trials on the yield response to different spraying scenarios when dealing with Sclerotinia and discuss the logic behind making decisions at the beginning and even in the middle of a growing season. Contacts: Maurie Street Grain Orana Alliance maurie.street@grainorana.com.au Rohan Brill Brill Ag rohan@brillag.com.au More Information: SclerotiniaCM app: https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/online-tools/sclerotinia-cm--sclerotinia-management-app/ https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/weeds-pests-diseases/diseases/do-canola-fungicide-applications-always-pay https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grdc/announcements/fungicide-use-may-be-placing-canola-production-at-risk https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/2021/fungicide-resistance-in-canola-crops-with-dr-steve-marcroft https://afren.com.au/fungicides-available-for-australian-grain-crops-and-their-modes-of-action/ https://afren.com.au/research-fast-tracked-to-arrest-rising-blackleg-resistance/ https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/weeds-pests-diseases/weeds/grdc-builds-a-team-australia-to-bolster-weed-research Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With seasons and environmental challenges often stacked against them, the Schaefer family’s determination to succeed in a sustainable manner has seen them adopt technologies, including precision agriculture practices. Robin’s long family association with farming in the northern Mallee region of South Australia has meant pivoting the business several times to keep pace with technology. His experience in transitioning from a precision agriculture model to an automated one is aligned with the principles of the Grain Automate initiative. This GRDC Grain Automate podcast series is led by the Society of Precision Agriculture Australia or SPAA, as part of the GRDC Grain Automate Initiative. Contact: Robin Shaefer Grower around Loxton, northern Mallee district robin.schaefer@bullaburra.net.au More Information: https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/2026/grain-automate-from-data-to-decisions https://grainautomate.grdc.com.au https://grdc.com.au/research/partnerships-and-initiatives/major-initiatives/grain-automate https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/2026/grain-automate-getting-started-with-autonomy https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/precision-agriculture-and-machinery/are-you-ready-for-autonomy https://grainautomate.grdc.com.au/resources/case-studies/simple-approach-key-to-variable-rate-success-on-branson-farms https://grainautomate.grdc.com.au/resources/articles/grain-automate-project-round-up https://www.netimes.com.au/2025/07/23/the-latest-in-ag-tech/ https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/precision-agriculture-and-machinery/momentum-builds-for-on-farm-task-automation https://grdc.com.au/events/past-events/2026/04/grain-automate-national-webinar-getting-automation-farm-ready https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grdc/announcements/grdc-invests-$35m-to-drive-machine-automation-and-intelligent-technology-for-grain-growers https://grdc.com.au/events/past-events/2024/08/paving-the-way-for-on-farm-autonomy? Project Code: SPA2404-002RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr Rick Llewellyn is the recipient of the 2026 Grain Research and Development Corporation, Seed of Light South Award for his contribution to the grains industry. As a Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO based out of South Australia's Waite campus, Rick has made it his mission to move the industry forward over a stellar career in the research field. GRDC Seed of Light Award recognises outstanding individuals who have significantly contributed to communicating research outcomes to grain growers and others working across the grains industry. Contact: Dr Rick Llewellyn CSIRO rick.llewellyn@csiro.au More Information: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grdc/awardsscholarships/csiro-scientist-receives-grains-industry-awards https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grdc/awardsscholarships/celebrating-seed-of-light-csiro-recipients https://grdc.com.au/about/rd-and-e-capacity-and-ability/awards grdc-seed-of-light-award.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Growers, advisers, agronomists and researchers all using MyGRDC to access information and events relevant to them. Hear from grower, Tim McClelland, researcher, Greta Duff and agronomist, Quenten Knight about the benefits of using MyGRDC - including personalised event notifications, bookmarking relevant articles and easy access no matter where you are. Contact: MyGRDC Team mygrdc@grdc.com.au Website: my.grdc.com.au Download app: App store or Google Play More Information: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/mygrdc https://youtu.be/LtnVWSmkaE8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
GRDC's Farm Business Updates have played a big role in updating growers about changing landscapes, including taxation and managing the ever-increasing asset base of their businesses. As part of a recent update, Joanne Gilbert from world leading tax and consulting service, RSM Australia spoke about the changes that have occurred in the years since the Covid pandemic. Joanne encourages all growers to take control of their income and we caught up with her post-update to find out more. Contact: Joanne Gilbert RSM Australia joanne.gilbert@rsm.com.au More information: https://www.rsm.global/australia https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grdc/events/focus-on-farm-business-a-priority-this-february https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grownotes/technical-manuals/farm-business-models https://grdc.com.au/research/partnerships-and-initiatives/strategic-partnerships/riskwise https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2024/07/mastering-the-whole-system-managing-farm-business-risk-and-building-resilience https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/2026/grain-automate-from-data-to-decisions https://grdc.com.au/events/list/2026/04/grdc-farm-business-update,-online-from-busy-to-efficient-streamlining-operations Project Code: ORM2401-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Growers in Western Australia are aware of the benefits of growing legumes in their rotation. However, there are key considerations and drivers that need to be considered when making decisions. A GRDC investment with the Grower Group Alliance is aiming to help with that and in this four-part series, we tackle the agronomy, profitability, marketing, and harvesting of growing legumes. This episode explores what makes legumes profitable, how profitable they need to be to make it worthwhile, and the multi-year factors at play. We hear from grower, Timm House, and his agronomy consultant, Tom McInerney, who are both based at Gnowangerup, WA. Contacts: Timm House Gnowangerup Grower timmhouse23@gmail.com Tom McInernery Great Southern Ag tom.mcinerney@bigpond.com More Information: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/profitable-legumes-becoming-a-reality Project Investment Code: GGA2110-002SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jessica Koch grew up around farming and technology, developing an early interest in precision agriculture as a way to better understand variability in low rainfall environments. What began as curiosity about soils, mapping and machinery has evolved into a career focused on helping growers make clearer, more confident decisions using the right information at the right time. Now a precision agriculture consultant, grower and founder of Breezy Hill Precision Ag Consulting, Jess reflects on her journey from working at a local John Deere dealership to building her own business and backing herself to step out independently. She shares a practical perspective on precision ag - not as perfection, but as using available tools and data to reduce uncertainty and improve decision-making. Beyond the farm gate, Jess discusses her involvement with SPAA and her role in establishing Ladies on the Land in South Australia’s Upper North, highlighting the importance of creating spaces where people feel included, supported and confident to build skills and contribute. This episode explores: - What precision agriculture really means in practice - How Jess built a career in precision ag through dealerships, consulting and on-farm experience - Why facts and good information lead to better, more confident decisions - How a leadership program helped Jess back herself and build her own consulting business - The role of self-awareness, humour and energy in leadership and communication - Why Ladies on the Land was created and the impact it has had in regional communities - How women can build confidence, farm knowledge and stronger pathways into business and leadership - Why precision ag doesn’t have to start with expensive tools, but with better use of the data already on hand - How drought shaped decision making and reinforced the value of practical, low-cost precision ag - Why autonomy, spot spraying and better farm data systems are exciting the next wave of ag innovation Watch this episode as a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pfN9ceGUzWQ More information https://www.breezyhillpas.com/ https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2022/08/using-common-precision-ag-data-layers-to-accurately-and-economically-ground-truth 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 https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
GRDC’s Farm Business Updates play a big role in updating growers about farm management systems, including self-development. Dr Jane Foster teaches emotional resilience and has been a presenter at this year’s events. In this podcast Dr Foster discusses the importance of proactive communication skills on-farm to avoid conflict and keep everyone safe. Contact: Dr Jane Foster Emotional Resilience Training jane@emotionalresiliencetraining.com.au 0425 718 632 More Information: Mental health resources https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/resources/mental-health https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/farm-business/business-management/a-full-wellbeing-silo-key-to-mental-health https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/industry-insights/boundaries-key-to-preserving-mental-health,-expert-says https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/2025/skills-for-agronomists-to-handle-tough-conversations https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/2024/finding-your-feet-as-an-agronomist https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/2023/talking-mental-health-in-a-tough-year The Farm business update in February: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/grdc/events/focus-on-farm-business-a-priority-this-february Upcoming Farm Business updates and GRDC events: https://grdc.com.au/events/list Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matthew Howell is an agronomist, grower and regional advocate based in South Australia’s Upper South East. Over the past two decades, he has worked alongside growers through a major shift from mixed farming to large-scale continuous cropping, driven by rainfall, soil development and opportunity. In this conversation, Matt reflects on his journey from Cummins on the Eyre Peninsula to building a life and career in Meningie, sharing what it’s been like to work in a rapidly changing region where former dairy country has been converted to broadacre cropping and growers have had to adapt quickly. Matt speaks to the value of being actively involved through agronomy, mentoring, trials and advocacy. He explores what real practice change looks like, how tough seasons sharpen learning, and why regional leadership matters, highlighting the balance between profitability and sustainability and the need for stronger support in precision ag, data and training. This episode explores: How Matt’s upbringing in Cummins shaped his connection to agriculture and regional community Why he moved to the Upper South East and what kept him there How the Meningie region shifted from mixed farming and dairy into large-scale cropping What it actually takes to convert farming systems at scale Why profitability and sustainability are driving decisions more than market hype What tough seasons reveal about water use efficiency, management and system weaknesses How local innovation sites and farmer-led trials can accelerate regional learning Why Matt believes regional communities thrive when farms are profitable and successful What holds back wider adoption of variable rate technology and precision ag How the next generation of agronomists will need both technical skill and people skills Why speaking up, getting involved and influencing policy matters for regional agriculture Watch this episode as a video on YouTube https://youtu.be/_rNR6XSV2u8 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. More info: https://grdc.com.au Subscribe: https://grdc.com.au/grdc-subscriptions For LIVE Events go to https://grdc.com.au/events/list Get the latest from GroundCover: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Controlling disease in crops has traditionally been the ultimate game of chance. However, work being done in faba and broad bean crops in South Australia has taken some of the risk out of the equation. In this episode, Max Bloomfield, a research manager at Field Applied Research Australia or FAR Australia explores strategies to manage major foliar and soil-borne diseases in faba and broad beans, reducing yield losses and improving profitability. Max and his team were involved in the South Australian Grain Legume Project, a joint initiative between South Australian Research and Development Institute, or SARDI and GRDC, looking specifically at keeping faba and broad bean crops clean and productive and led by the South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA). Contact: Max Bloomfield FAR Australia Max.bloomfield@faraustralia.com.au More Information: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/nvt-crop-sowing-guides/sa-crop-sowing-guide https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/closing-the-economic-yield-gap https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/legume-challenges-addressed https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/grain-legumes-initiative-aims-to-close-the-yield-gap-in-sa https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/past-update-proceedings/2026/grdc-grains-research-update-bendigo-2026 Project Code: UOA2105-013RTX https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=UOA2105-013RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Disease prevention is pivotal in any cereal crop. This episode explores recognising and preventing diseases in lentils with research scientist Mohsen Khani from the South Australian Research and Development Institute. Lentils are often favoured because of their profitability, but diseases can undo a season's work in a matter of weeks if not kept in check. GRDC has invested in a multi -year grain legume project in South Australia, with part of that study focused on what to look for and how seasons affect disease development and progress. The SA Grain Legume project: Development and extension to close the economic yield gap and maximise farming systems benefits from grain legume production in South Australia is led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the research division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, alongside a number of project partners. Contact: Mohsen Khani South Australian Research and Development Institute mohsen.khani@sa.gov.au More Information: https://grdc.com.au/search?query=%E2%80%AFUOA2105-013RTX&collection=grdc%7Esp-grdc&profile=grdc-global&form=web https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/legume-challenges-addressed Project Investment Code: UOA2105-013RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, agronomist Sam Trengove, from Trengove Consulting, and lentil farmer Tim Millard talk about one of the greatest challenges for legume growers - lentil pod loss. Lentil pod loss can be devastating to a crop. In some instances, farmers can lose up to 60 percent and the main cause, wind, is out of their hands to control. GRDC has invested in a multi-year grain legume project in South Australia, in part looking at how to prevent such dramatic lentil seed pod losses between maturity and harvest. While researchers found no silver bullets, they emphasise controlling what you can and using harvest timing, machinery setup, and awareness of conditions to capture as much of the crop as possible, while research continues to search for longer term solutions. In addition to the comments within this episode, agronomist Sam Trengove emphasises the question of what growers can do now in terms of timing of desiccation and timeliness of harvest with respect to wind events. He states that growers with large programs should stagger their desiccation times in line with their harvest capacity, so that they don't have all their lentil crop ready to harvest on the same day when it will take them 10 days to harvest. For example, if they have capacity to harvest 100ha of lentil per day and 1000ha of lentils to harvest, then staggering the desiccation time over a 10-day period may help to reduce the risks of having the whole crop ready and vulnerable if it is all sprayed within a couple days. A range of sowing dates and/or mix of variety maturities may also help to stagger the desiccation timing. The South Australian Grain Legume Project, is a joint initiative between South Australian Research and Development Institute, or SARDI and GRDC, led by the South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA). Contact: Sam Trengove Trengove Consulting Pty Ltd samtrenny34@hotmail.com Tim Millard Grower in Goalpara, South Australia tmillard01@hotmail.com More Information: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/fine-tuning-legume-agronomy-to-benefit-sa-growers https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/closing-the-economic-yield-gap https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/weeds-pests-diseases/chemical-regulation/herbicide-tolerant-lentils-registration-and-impacts https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/legume-challenges-addressed https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/less-haste,-more-speed-for-lentil-desiccation-timing Project Code: UOA2105-013RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
James Hillcoat didn’t grow up on a farm. His journey began cycling five miles to a Lincolnshire farm in England, evolved through painting houses and teaching sailing in France, and eventually led him to Australian grain consulting via Marcus Oldham. Today, as a Partner at Pinion Advisory, his work sits at the intersection of profit, people and perspective. In this conversation, James shares what truly drives high-performing farm businesses, why communication is the hidden lever in family enterprises, and how emotion, succession and robotics will shape the next era of Australian grain. This episode explores: ● What separates the top 20% of grain businesses ● Why technical skill is only 30% of modern consulting ● Emotion in family farming – and how to harness it productively ● Lessons from the Country Fire Service on leadership under pressure ● The succession challenge facing Australian agriculture ● What “Consultant 3.0” looks like Watch this episode as a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bdIpp-iCacE Watch highlights from this episode as a video on YouTube: More information James Hillocat, Pinion Advisory: https://www.pinionadvisory.com/ https://grdc.com.au/events/past-events/2025/03/grdc-farm-business-update,-online-should-i-own-trucks-assessing-the-commercial-benefit GRC 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
This episode of GRDC’s Grain Automate series speaks with Tim Neale, an expert agronomist and the director of Data Farming, a precision farming company based out of Toowoomba in southern Queensland. Tim works to help the industry get smarter about how to work with technology and managing the influx of automation available now and into the future. Agronomists can spend up to 75 per cent of their time driving, which can be frustrating and unproductive, prompting many of them to look at alternative monitoring options. But Tim is quick to reiterate the autonomous solutions aren't about replacing boots on the ground. Contact: Tim Neale Data Farming tim@datafarming.com.au More Information: - https://grdc.com.au/research/partnerships-and-initiatives/major-initiatives/grain-automate - Autonomy proves a game changer | GroundCover - Expo steps gowers nearer to tomorrow | GroundCover - https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/precision-agriculture-and-machinery/are-you-ready-for-autonomy - https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/precision-agriculture-and-machinery/partnerships-and-vision-are-key-to-an-autonomous-future Project Code: SPA2404-002RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ed Scott grew up on a mixed farming property on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, but his path into agriculture wasn’t a straight line. What began with an interest in animal health and pasture production soon led him deeper into the soil beneath it all. Today, Ed works at the intersection of soils, precision agriculture, automation and sustainability, helping growers better understand what’s happening below the surface and how to turn that knowledge into smarter decisions on the farm. In this conversation, Ed shares how the grains industry has evolved from treating soil as something to work around to seeing it as one of the biggest untapped opportunities in modern farming. He unpacks why variable rate adoption is still slower than expected, how harvest yield and protein data can sharpen nitrogen decisions, and why the next big gains may come from making better use of the data growers already collect. This episode explores: - How Ed’s early fascination with soils turned into a career in soil-focused agronomy - Why soils are still one of the biggest untapped opportunities in grain production - What growers can learn from digging soil pits and testing to depth - Why variable rate technology remains underused despite its potential - How spatial grain quality and protein mapping can improve nitrogen management - The link between automation, precision ag and better on-farm decision making - How sustainability reporting and emissions data are starting to shape farm business conversations - Why the best-performing businesses will be the ones that manage risk with better information Watch this episode as a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e1xdGTy2Xsw More information: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/precision-agriculture-and-machinery/expo-steps-growers-nearer-to-tomorrow https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2024/07/leveraging-protein-for-profitability https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2025/02/dry-sowing-in-the-mid-north-lessons-from-the-dry-2024-season 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
Legume marketing has long been considered a chicken and egg scenario. What comes first? The market or the grower collaborations? This episode explores this concept and how growers can collaborate to gain market access. A GRDC investment with the Grower Group Alliance is aiming to increase grower confidence in using legumes in Western Australia. This episode is part of a four-part series investigating the agronomy, profitability, marketing and harvesting of various legume crops. In this instalment, we’ll hear how to market legume crops with John Orr from Premium Grain Handlers based at Fremantle, Erin Cahill a grower and AgVivo agronomist in Moora WA, and Timm House a grower in Gnowangerup WA. Contact: John Orr Manager, Premium Grain Handlers pgh@pgh.com.au Erin Cahill Grower & AgVivo agronomist, Moora, Western Australia erin@agvivo.com.au Timm House Grower, Gnowangerup, Western Australia timmhouse23@gmail.com More Information: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/profitable-legumes-becoming-a-reality) https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/shift-in-planting-time-offers-new-market-opportunity Project Code: GGA2110-002SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
James Walter is the bioinformatics lead at Australian Grain Technologies (AGT), working at the intersection of genetics, data science and plant breeding. His role focuses on turning vast amounts of genomic and field data into practical insights that help breeders make better decisions and ultimately deliver improved crop varieties to growers. In this episode, James takes us behind the scenes of the plant breeding pipeline, unpacking the journey from initial crosses in the glasshouse through to years of field trials, quality testing and eventual commercial release. He explains how modern breeding balances resilience and performance, why stability across seasons is critical, and how the explosion of data and new technologies is reshaping how varieties are developed. This episode explores: ● James’ pathway from agricultural science into bioinformatics and plant breeding ● What a role in genomics and data science looks like in agriculture ● How plant breeding programs work from glasshouse to commercial release ● Why it takes 8–10 years to develop a new crop variety ● The importance of stability versus peak performance in different seasons ● How genetics and field data are combined to guide breeding decisions ● The role of large-scale field trials across multiple environments ● How new technologies, AI and data are transforming plant breeding ● The sheer scale of data involved in modern breeding programs ● Career opportunities in agriculture beyond traditional farm roles Watch this episode as a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hEJmhVcDmtg More information: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/innovation/climate/global-search-helps-heat-tolerance-gains-to-be-made-in-wheat https://www.agtbreeding.com.au/ 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
This episode explores how to set pulse crops up for success, because they really don't forgive shortcuts with herbicides. Navneet Aggarwal, a senior research agronomist for the South Australian Research and Development Institute or SARDI, has been a part of the South Australian Grain Legume Project looking specifically at herbicide safety and weed management in pulses. He says preparation is key, but if those crucial steps are missed, what are the options? The SA Grain Legume Project: ‘Development and extension to close the economic yield gap and maximise farming systems benefits from grain legume production in South Australia’ is led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the research division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, alongside a number of project partners. Contact: Navneet Aggarwal South Australian Research and Development Institute navneet.aggarwal@sa.gov.au More Information: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2024/07/broadleaf-weed-management-in-lentil-grown-on-different-soil-types-in-south-australiahttps://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/sa-research-push-to-close-pulse-yield-gaps https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/crops/pulses/fine-tuning-legume-agronomy-to-benefit-sa-growers https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=UOA2105-013RTX&_gl=1*yrqwkq*_ga*ODQxMzgxOTU0LjE3NzI1MDg1NjY.*_ga_ZTGWWXHVRC*czE3NzMxMDAzODYkbzckZzEkdDE3NzMxMDE5MjgkajI0JGwwJGgw Project Investment Code: UOA2105-013RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices