GRDC Podcast

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, host Oli Le Lievre talks to Ryan Skamp, a former carpenter-turned-farmer and co-founder of an ag-tech startup. Ryan shares his unconventional journey from city life in Perth to establishing a career in agriculture, driven by a passion for problem-solving and efficiency.   Now the co-founder of "Skan," Ryan and his team develop technology solutions to optimise farm operations, cutting down on inefficiencies and offering time-saving tools to farmers. This episode provides insights into his transition from a tradie lifestyle to farming and entrepreneurship, the challenges of work-life balance in agriculture, and his vision for innovation in the industry.  Download the transcript for this episode  Watch this episode as a video on YouTube  More information:  GRDC GroundUp Program    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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rhizoctonia is a soil borne disease that causes a huge impact for farmers in Australia, particularly in the low and medium rainfall zones, with yield loss in the vicinity of $150 million for wheat and barley annually.  With GRDC investment, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in Western Australia is developing disease risk and management strategies that are practical and economical for growers to reduce the impact of rhizoctonia in the Southern and Western cereal growing regions.  In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Daniel Hüberli from DPIRD to learn about the integrated and cost-effective approach of cultural, chemical and biological management strategies that the research team is working to create.  Download the transcript for this episode. Contact:  Dr Daniel Hüberli   Research Scientist, DPIRD  [email protected] More information:  Epidemiology and management of Rhizoctonia in low and medium rainfall zones   New project to reduce Rhizoctonia impact in low and medium rainfall zones  Project Codes:  DAW2206-006RTX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices