GRDC Podcast

People tend to see farmers as one large group of food and fibre producers. But have you ever thought about what different individuals they are? How would you encourage these independent, self-sufficient people to adopt change or innovate? Agronomist Cam Nicholson is passionate about providing advice to boost farmers’ profitability and productivity, and one of the keys he uses is to work out the personality types of his clients. Everybody learns and responds differently, Cam says, and over the past 15 years he’s developed his assessment of farmers based on the temperament typing of the Myers Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI) and the work of Queensland psychologist Rod Strahan. Cam says farmers break up loosely into four types: SJs, or ‘the dependables’ – love what they do, very reliable and methodical. They need a good reason to change. SPs, ‘the doers’ – a bit like the dependables but they work at a more frantic pace and tend to not quite finish off jobs. NFs, ‘the pioneers’ – first to try something, adopt new technology quickly, love to think strategically about big picture, take risks. NFs, ‘the team builders’ – they farm with intergenerational change and the environment in mind, and both males and females contribute equally. About 80% of farmers fall in to the first two categories - about 55% are dependables and 25% are doers. In the Australian population overall, the dependables are 40% and the doers account for 15%. The balance are the pioneers and the team builders, who together make up about 20% of farmers. In the Australian population there are only 15% of these types. The trick to providing advice, Cam says, is to pick the temperament type by asking the client questions, assessing their answers and observing how their farm runs. This works both ways. Cam says farmers should identify their own personality types through simple testing online, so that they know their strengths and how they’ll respond to pressure or making decisions. Then find complementary personality types within the business, he says, or bring someone with the necessary skills in. Ditto for involving women in the decision making, as that helps to balance out the way in which decisions are made and information gathered. And while it’s difficult to change the personality type you’re born with, you can choose to work in some areas that aren’t natural to you, rather than continuing to work in the same way. While there’s a bit of conjecture over the actual split, Cam believes that the influence on temperament types is 40% genetic, 40% what you learn in the formative years aged 12-15, and about 20% the crowd you hang out with. And funnily enough, there’s not a lot of difference between the average Australian farmer in his/her 50s and 60s, and the younger digital natives coming through – they’re young, but inherently conservative, he says. While it took him 15 years to learn this, Cam says he’s spent the following 15 years sharing his knowledge with others and becoming a more effective advisor. Further Information Cam Nicholson, Nicon Rural Services 03 5258 3860 or 0417 311 098 [email protected] https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/03/agronomists-as-drivers-of-practice-change http://www.grainandgraze3.com.au/resources/Farm_Decision_Making.pdf http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/outlook/Documents/innovation-nicholson.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this podcast WA Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development research officer and Frost specialist, Dr Ben Biddulph, discusses salvage and harvest options for frost-affected cereal crops as well as what to consider if you intend holding onto seed from a frost affected crop. On the day Ben Biddulph was at DPIRD’s Frost evaluation trial site at Dale about 100k’s east of Perth. Further Information Dr Ben Biddulph DPIRD Grains Directorate 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151 0428 920 654 [email protected] A range of resources to help growers identify and manage frosted crops are available on the GRDC website: Frost Identification Guide, produced by DPIRD with co-investment from GRDC, available at https://grdc.com.au/CerealFrostIDGuide?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=track_description&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=resources Frost - Frequently Asked Questions, a DPIRD publication produced in collaboration with GRDC at https://grdc.com.au/frost-faq?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=track_description&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=resources The GRDC YouTube frost playlist which includes segments about the emotional cost of frost and managing the effects of frost https://www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-Video-NationalFrostInitiativePlaylist?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=track_description&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=resources GRDC Managing Frost Risk Tips and Tactics at https://grdc.com.au/ManagingFrostRisk?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=track_description&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=resources More information on frost management can be found via the GRDC’s suite of GrowNotes™ publications available at https://grdc.com.au/grownotes?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=track_description&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=resources Frost resources are also available on the DPIRD website at https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/frost/frost-tools-and-support?utm_source=grdc_soundcloud&utm_medium=track_description&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=resources and https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/frost/management-options-frosted-crop?utm_source=grdc_soundcloud&utm_medium=track_description&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=resources GRDC Project code: DAW00244; DWA00243; DWA00242; DWA00236 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fifty years ago, the pioneers of zero and minimum tillage cropping systems had a challenging time to convince researchers and growers that these systems had benefits over a tractor and plough criss-crossing a paddock, but in 2018 the conservation farming methods are widely used across Australia. Associate Professor David Freebairn from the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba grew up on a farm in NSW where cropping country was cultivated and stubble burnt every year. As a University graduate, his first research task was to assess the impact on soil erosion of not cultivating and not burning stubble. David admits to thinking ‘This won’t work’, but he was amazed when rainfall simulators on different soils with different cover returned the same result every time – a significant reduction in erosion. David has reviewed the past 50 years of research into zero and minimum till practices, since the 1960s when there were two different mindsets – the traditional method of burning stubble to reduce disease and make it easier to plant the next crop, and the idea of leaving it on the surface to protect the soil and retain water. Catchment studies looking at water storage, erosion and runoff showed quite early the dramatic impacts of retaining stubble. One study had reduced a soil loss of 50 tonnes/ hectare/ year down to 6t/ha/yr if stubble was mulched, and 1t/ha/yr if it were zero till. The challenge was to make the method easy to practice. At the time there were no minimum till machines on the market to plant directly into stubble, and very few herbicides. Roundup® entered the market in 1974 but cost $20/litre, and at that time growers were using 1-2L/ha. In 1969, Hector Tod was one of the early farmers to explore tillage and planting equipment to handle higher stubble loads. Machinery evaluation programs, testing equipment imported from Canada and the US, were initiated in Queensland in the mid 1970s. In 1968 a study started at Warwick in southeast Queensland that provided more support for conservation farming methods. It clearly showed that where there was less tillage or no tillage and stubble retained, there was an extra 30-50mm of stored water for the crop in most years. This should have converted to extra yield, but the extra water resulted in poorer mineralisation of nitrogen into sowing, translating as lower protein and lower yields. And there was an accumulation of foliar and root diseases which got in the way of maximising the improved water capture. From 1968-90 researchers initiated the breeding of nematode-resistant varieties. In response to root diseases, the NSW Department of Agriculture decided to trial no till in tandem with the rotation of other crops like sorghum and pulses to follow a winter cereal. The yield response was dramatic. The extra water was used by the rotational crop, the disease pressure was less, and yields improved by half a tonne to a tonne per hectare. The machinery followed suit. So should growers fear the return of cultivation? The occasional working of a no till paddock may bring new weed seeds into action, but it won’t destroy 10 years of hard work, David says. From his review of 50 years of conservation farming, he advises growers who are still sceptical to start small and experiment. Further Information: Associate Professor David Freebairn National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (Research) University of Southern Qld, Toowoomba, Qld. 0408 876 904 [email protected] Resources GRDC Update Paper: https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/02/tillage-stubble-and-zero-till-understanding-the-data-sets-underpinning-notill-farming-systems< Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a bad year the cereal pest Root Lesion Nematode can cost West Australian grain growers up to $110 million in lost production. The two main species in the West are Pratylenchus neglectus and p. quasitereoides and when seasonal conditions are conducive, the nematodes multiply, compromise growth and starve the crop of nutrients. Dr Sarah Collins is senior nematologist with WA’s Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development and in this podcast Dr Collins talks about the current work into evaluating yield loss and what crop rotation recommendations are being offered to grain growers to help manage nematode issues. Further Information: Dr Sarah Collins DPIRD senior nematologist 08 9368 3612 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s been a significant change to the National Variety Trials program. It’s now fully managed by the Grains Research and Development Corporation. You might be thinking… wasn’t it always? Well while the NVT program was established by GRDC back in 2005 its only in 2018 that the administration and day to day management of the national comparative crop variety trials program has come under GRDC management. In this podcast NVT’s southern manager Rob Wheeler explains what the change means for NVT and those who use its data for crop management decision making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fencelines can be a haven for weeds that may also be resistant to glyphosate. On this podcast Weeds Specialist, Tony Cook describes a new, effective treatment for glyphosate resistant weeds in the northern region. Further information: Tony Cook Technical Specialist Weeds NSW Department of Primary Industries 02 6763 1250 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cereal pest Russian wheat aphid was first detected in Australia two years ago in South Australia’s Mid North and has since made its way into Victoria and southern NSW and across to Tasmania. It’s a major pest of cereal crops that injects toxins into the plant during feeding which retards growth and, with heavy infestations, kills the plant. Entomologist Dr Paul Umina has been closely involved in monitoring Russian wheat aphid and liaising with farmers, and he’s gained some valuable insights into the pest’s behaviour, identification, agronomic management and strategies for prevention. While it’s still early days, Paul says the pest appears to be following a similar pattern to other aphids in Australian conditions and has proven quite manageable, with growers and agronomists using US guidelines for control. While these haven’t been validated for local conditions and cereal varieties, Paul says tips such as monitoring and being aware of the highest risk period, using seed treatments to prevent infestation early in the season, reducing the green bridge between seasons and using chemicals once an economic threshold is reached have all been successful. Fortunately, a number of beneficial insects, predatory beetles and hover flies and other species including parasitic wasps are exerting quite good biological control over the aphid. In the south, populations are at their highest level in spring and relatively common in autumn, with numbers dropping off in the colder, wetter months of winter and in the heat of summer. Climatic conditions are potentially more favourable for the Russian wheat aphid in northern NSW and Queensland. Paul says while aphids are known to disperse long distances on wind currents, it’s difficult to predict how quickly they’ll move north. New infestations of Russian wheat aphid are characterised by leaf rolling and streaking of cereal plants. Growers should be mindful of symptoms of Russian wheat aphid and notify local authorities such as state agriculture departments if they are suspected to be in a crop. Dr Paul Umina cesar Pty Ltd Melbourne [email protected] 03 9349 4723 https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/03/managing-insecticide-resistance-helicoverpa-armigera-green-peach-aphid-and-an-update-on-russian-wheat-aphid https://grdc.com.au/TT-RWA https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/news-and-media-releases/south/2018/01/act-now-to-reduce-russian-wheat-aphid-risk-in-2018 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Respected northern region agronomist, Drew Penberthy outlines some of the agronomic issues to watch out for after drought. And we hear from a farmer who managed the mental health effects of the drought by digging a giant hole. Drew Penberthy Agricultural consultant Penagcon Pty Ltd 0427 255 752 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cereal pest Russian wheat aphid was first detected in Australia two years ago in South Australia’s Mid North and has since made its way into Victoria and southern NSW and across to Tasmania. It’s a major pest of cereal crops that injects toxins into the plant during feeding which retards growth and, with heavy infestations, kills the plant. Entomologist Dr Paul Umina has been closely involved in monitoring Russian wheat aphid and liaising with farmers, and he’s gained some valuable insights into the pest’s behaviour, identification, agronomic management and strategies for prevention. While it’s still early days, Paul says the pest appears to be following a similar pattern to other aphids in Australian conditions and has proven quite manageable, with growers and agronomists using US guidelines for control. While these haven’t been validated for local conditions and cereal varieties, Paul says tips such as monitoring and being aware of the highest risk period, using seed treatments to prevent infestation early in the season, reducing the green bridge between seasons and using chemicals once an economic threshold is reached have all been successful. Fortunately, a number of beneficial insects, predatory beetles and hover flies and other species including parasitic wasps are exerting quite good biological control over the aphid. In the south, populations are at their highest level in spring and relatively common in autumn, with numbers dropping off in the colder, wetter months of winter and in the heat of summer. Climatic conditions are potentially more favourable for the Russian wheat aphid in northern NSW and Queensland. Paul says while aphids are known to disperse long distances on wind currents, it’s difficult to predict how quickly they’ll move north. New infestations of Russian wheat aphid are characterised by leaf rolling and streaking of cereal plants. Growers should be mindful of symptoms of Russian wheat aphid and notify local authorities such as state agriculture departments if they are suspected to be in a crop. Further Information Dr Paul Umina cesar Pty Ltd Melbourne. [email protected] 03 9349 4723 https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/03/managing-insecticide-resistance-helicoverpa-armigera-green-peach-aphid-and-an-update-on-russian-wheat-aphid https://grdc.com.au/TT-RWA https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/news-and-media-releases/south/2018/01/act-now-to-reduce-russian-wheat-aphid-risk-in-2018 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sandy soils have constraints that limit crop yield. Low levels of organic matter in these soils restrict the soil’s ability to retain nutrients, compaction hinders root penetration as the plants seeks out those nutrients and water, and the structure of the sand limits its ability to retain water. To help overcome these restrains intervention is needed and in this podcast Therese McBeath describes the types of intervention being investigated, seasonal timing of interventions and the supply of nutrients to sandy soils. Further Information Dr Therese McBeath CSIRO research scientist 08 83038455 [email protected] RDC Project code: CSP00203 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Angela Pattison’s been delving into an historic bank of chickpea plant varieties, some of which have been grown for hundreds of years in hot, dry places like the Middle East and brought to the Australian Grains Gene Bank in Horsham, Victoria. From there, Angela has selected small packets of seeds to breed and screen for heat tolerance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frost is a costly and often unpredictable problem that costs Australian grain growers more than $300 million a year, but the GRDC’s National Frost Initiative is proactively working to develop more frost resistant varieties, identify best frost management practices and to create tools to predict frosts. It’s important to recognise the psychological and financial cost of frost and how devastating it can be, particularly towards the end of the season when producers anticipate harvest only to have it damaged by frost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Change is a continual process, Nadine says. The key is investing the same amount in people as we do in infrastructure and technology, so that rural industries can move through change events confidently and survive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike says while we have a wealth of knowledge in Australia about above-ground plant components, we don’t understand enough about roots – how variable they are between species and how they respond to different soil conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using the autopilot from a drone as the ‘brains’ of their vehicles, Martin and his colleagues aimed to prove that mechatronics could reduce damage to crops and soil from humans and large machines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pulse markets were thrown into disarray during last year’s harvest when India imposed tariffs on imports of chickpeas and lentils. On this podcast Chief Executive Officer of AGT Foods Australia Peter Wilson tells us about the current state of play in the pulse market in Australia and overseas. Further information: Peter Wilson, CEO, AGT Foods Australia 07 46306139 email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A five-year survey of the entire Australian cropping belt has revealed a sobering picture of growing herbicide resistance in key cropping weeds. Dr John Broster from the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation heads up a joint herbicide resistance monitoring project between Charles Sturt University, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Universities of Adelaide and Western Australia. In a 5-year cycle the group visited 3000 randomly selected paddocks and took 2000 samples of the nation’s number one weed, ryegrass, which is followed by wild radish in WA, wild oats in Queensland and NSW, and sow thistle in fourth place. The survey revealed that nationally, about 75 per cent of the populations of ryegrass are resistant to Group A ‘fop’ herbicides, ranging from 99 per cent in WA and 90 per cent in southern NSW around Wagga to much lower levels in western NSW where cropping intensity is a bit lower, and in northern NSW where cropping systems are different. In the last five-year survey, the level of resistance in ryegrass around Wagga was 70-75 per cent, but John says the numbers can vary as the survey monitors different paddocks. But the most concerning discovery was the increasing resistance to the most important herbicide, glyphosate. Across Australia glyphosate resistance is 5 per cent in the populations of ryegrass, but in a region like the Liverpool Plains in NSW it was in 29 per cent of the populations that were surveyed. John says if growers lose glyphosate, they’ll have to use more complex, more expensive methods of controlling weeds. He says the key to remember is that if you use herbicides, you will get resistance. By using other methods to control plants that survive herbicide applications and prevent them from setting seed, then growers will slow – maybe not stop, but slow – the development of resistance to enable the use of herbicides for longer. Paddocks are selected at random for the survey to provide an indication of what herbicides are still working and where, and what are at risk in the future. John says farmers generally are responsible in their management of weeds. Even though there are high levels of resistance in the ryegrass to selective herbicide groups, and even glyphosate, at harvest time when researchers collect the weed seeds, most populations are below one plant per square metre. So even though it’s more complicated, he says they’re managing populations quite well using alternative herbicides and other methods than herbicides to control the weed populations. Further information Dr John Broster Herbicide Resistance Screening Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga, NSW 02 6933 4001 or 0427 296 641 [email protected] https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2018/03/a-survey-of-herbicide-resistance-in-key-weeds-across-the-northern-grains-region Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grain growers attending this year’s Henty Field days had the opportunity to hear timely advice from specialists such as NSW DPI’s southern pastures program leader Nigel Phillips. Nigel was one of four speakers at the GRDC NSW DPI Tough Season Questions Answered forum, held as part of the field days. After addressing the forum Nigel Phillips recorded this podcast and summarised the messages he delivered. His key message was to have an action plan, follow it through and don’t regret making a choice. Nigel also advised growers to think about options. Just because a crop has been impacted by drought or a frost event it doesn’t mean the crop is worthless. These crops can still be a valuable source of livestock feed, high in energy and protein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another of the speakers at the Henty Field Days grower forum was NSW DPI’s research agronomist Graeme Sandral. Graeme spoke about the seed quality issues that can result from a tough season and how they impact next year’s grain yield. In this podcast Graeme Sandral also discusses crop nutrition and fertiliser management next season. Graeme points out that because less nutrient will leave the paddock, due to less grain being produced, the unused Nitrogen and Phosphorus left behind in the soil should be factored into next season’s fertiliser needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lessons learnt from past droughts and frosts events need to be applied to this season, especially in regards to determining the feed quality of a crop. This was some of the advise passed onto grain growers by NSW DPI Feed lab chemist Richard Meyer at the Henty Field Days grain grower forum. The forum was organised by GRDC and NSW DPI to provide growers with an opportunity to get good farm management advise during a tough season. As you’ll hear in this podcast data kept from feed samples taken from previous drought stressed and frost damaged crops provides a valuable reference point for when to cut for hay or silage to optimism your crop’s feed quality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the recent southern NSW, Henty Field Days, GRDC with NSW DPI presented a special grower forum called Tough Season Questions Answered. The idea of the forum was to give grain growers an opportunity to hear timely advise on crop management decisions and have their questions answered. One of the speakers was Dr Felicity Harris a Cereal Physiologist with NSW DPI who highlighted the need to identify biomass in paddocks so that informed decisions could be made to either take a crop through to harvest, cut for fodder, silage, or to consider grazing options. In this podcast Dr Harris encourages growers to measure biomass at both a paddock and farm scale sand to be aware of any underlying damage that might have been caused by frost events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices