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Spray Drift, 19 Dec 2023Waving a WAND to boost spraying certainty
The Weather and Networked Data (WAND) system allows growers to plan their spraying operations with more certainty. This summer spraying season is the ideal time to try WAND and take the guesswork out of spraying.
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Spray Drift, 19 Dec 2023World-first solution to combat spray drift saves growers time, money
The Weather and Networked Data (WAND) system, a pioneering Australian-developed weather data technology, has been embraced by over 2,400 grain and cotton growers and spray contractors in Queensland and New South Wales. This world-first system aims to minimize spray drift, a critical issue costing affected cotton growers an average of $254,000 in the 2022/23 season. Developed collaboratively by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) with Goanna Ag, WAND provides real-time data and a two-hour forecast to help growers spray safely.
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Spray Drift, 11 Oct 2023Workshops localise crop-spraying know-how
Technical innovations and region-specific constraints have combined to create a need for local workshops on spray application technology and drift mitigation
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Spray Drift, 11 Jul 2023Australian growers gain access to tool to better manage spray drift
Growers nationally will now be able to access a Spray Drift Management Tool (SDMT) that allows for the recalculation of spray drift buffer zones, thanks to support from the GRDC.
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Spray Drift, 01 May 2023Difference between inversions makes all the difference to spraying
Through the WAND app, growers and spray operators are getting real-time information on inversions, taking the guesswork out of spraying.
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Spray Drift, 23 Sep 2022Spray condition system to aid long-standing conundrum
By accurately determining whether hazardous inversions exist, growers will be able to take the guesswork out of spraying, leading to economic, environmental and social benefits.
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Spray Drift, 23 Aug 2022New spray technology and stewardship on show at GRDC Spray Days
New technology and the concept of an industry social licence has changed the way grain growers spray their crops and what they have to consider.
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Spray Drift, 15 Mar 2022Major partnership to deliver spray hazard warning system
The grains and cotton industries have today announced a $5.5 million investment to help minimise spray drift through a five-year partnership with Australian agtech company, Goanna Ag.
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Spray Drift, 08 Jul 2019Growers urged to focus on minimising risks of spray drift this season
Research is continuing into finding spray drift reduction techniques.
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Spray Drift, 24 May 2019Check suitability of spray water in north
Calls to test water quality before using it for application of herbicides and pesticides.
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GRDC News
GRDC News
Triple fungicide resistance detected in Yorke Peninsula barley
Yorke Peninsula barley growers should review their disease management practices after samples of the fungus...
Project delves into water repellent soils
A new research project exploring management options for soil water repellence will support Australian grain...
Industry consultant honoured with GRDC award
The 2025 northern GRDC Seed of Light has been awarded to Independent Consultants Australia Network...
Victorian agronomist and scientist each win grains award
Agricultural consultant Cam Nicholson and research scientist Dr Audrey Delahunty each received awards this week...
Markets, tech and trust take centre stage at Updates
GRDC Grains Research Update events provide important insights into advances in agricultural research, but also...
Acid soil research priorities identified
A National Soil Acidity Workshop held in Adelaide in February has identified and prioritised transformational...
The NGN delivers large gains to growers
Locally relevant research impacts generated through GRDC’s National Grower Network has been found to deliver...
New sowing date calculators could lift wheat, barley yields
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has made a significant investment in the National...
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Agronomy
Agronomy
Request the data
When considering new varieties, requesting independent data is important.
Impact of NVT extends beyond variety selection
The National Variety Trials (NVT) system adds value to the agricultural research pipeline in ways...
Farming systems trials move into the paddock
Grain grower Zach McRae and his family are hosting paddock-scale trials for the GRDC’s southern...
Advancing cereal yield frontiers
GRDC is investing in research to identify agronomic tactics to help growers achieve yield potential,...
Frost research set to target ear architecture
After many years of hearing stories about wheat varieties with different-shaped ears being more tolerant...
Cell membranes key to promising frost approach
The ability of plant cell membranes to flex instead of breaking or bursting at low...
To plant, or not, on late summer rain?
Higher returns are possible from a farming system that can flexibly optimise sowing opportunities throughout...
Managing waterlogging is a long road travelled
Working with South Coast NRM on a GRDC-supported National Grower Network project, the Marold family...
World-first solution to combat spray drift saves growers time, money
The Weather and Networked Data (WAND) system, a pioneering Australian-developed weather data technology, has been...
Waving a WAND to boost spraying certainty
The Weather and Networked Data (WAND) system allows growers to plan their spraying operations with...
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Grower stories
Grower stories
Winter season starts
Every year, GroundCover™ tracks a group of growers throughout Australia as they navigate the cropping...
Time to reflect as growers weigh up mostly positive harvest results
Grain growers from across Australia report on how the season is progressing as they gear...
Difficult finish highlights diversity’s value
Southern NSW grain grower Zach McRae and his agronomist Heidi Gooden of Delta Ag Lockhart...
Pros and cons of cropping intensity meet at Goondiwindi
Northern Farming Systems research has tested various systems across the past decade, but a standout...
Futureproofing weed management
Data for future weed solutions is being collected by Terry Antonio and his SwarmBot
On-farm advocacy prompts national project
Trials testing long coleoptile wheat have had an unexpected benefit, showing that deep sowing can...
Agile ‘moisture farmer’ turns flood pain into flood gain
A Victoria grain and sheep producer takes the good with the bad when floods arrive,...
Winter canola proves profitable at Weatherboard
Ben Findlay’s farm near Weatherboard, Victoria, utilises ungrazed winter canola, specifically the hybrid RGT Nizza...
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Weeds, pests and diseases
Weeds, pests and diseases
Trials target spiny emex
Investment by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has investigated opportunities to expand lentil...
The future of the double-knock
An expert in weeds management has outlined a potential approach for dealing with glyphosate and...
Growers warned of increased mouse activity
The National Mouse Group warns of increased mouse activity reports in the Darling Downs and...
Aphids and virus risks elevate need for canola vigilance
Young canola plants may be more susceptible to virus infections this season as green peach...
Economics of disease control options tested
Trials are seeking to refine the management of Ascochyta blight and Botrytis grey mould in...
The climate component of disease risk
Agriculture Victoria is working with SARDI’s Climate Applications research group led by Dr Peter Hayman...
Essential tips to start and keep going
A farm biosecurity plan is an essential investment in your farm’s resilience, productivity and reputation....
Healthy seeds crucial for successful winter sowing
Infected seeds can introduce hidden threats, so securing clean, healthy seeds is crucial to protect...
Herbicide-tolerant lentils: Registration and impacts
The rise of lentils as the most profitable crop in southern rotations was enabled by...
Grains industry scores A-plus for chemical residue compliance
Australia’s grains industry has a 99.2 per cent compliance rate with national maximum residue limits...
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Crops
Crops
Hardy barley proves its worth in rotation trials
Long-term farming systems experiments support barley as a profitable inclusion in canola and wheat rotations
Award-winning crop takes topsy-turvy seasonal conditions in its stride
Minhamite grower Tim Whitehead has won a GRDC Hyper Yielding Crops initiative award for his...
Looking towards the future of chickpea breeding research
GRDC will soon start the process of identifying a new chickpea breeding partner as part...
Small beans, big benefits
Legumes are often overlooked in many people’s diets, but they are a nutritional powerhouse. Packed...
Northern growers and researchers pushing the canola envelope
Canola’s place in the north is being explored via a GRDC National Grower Network project...
Understanding canola establishment to optimise yields
Establishment of any crop is foundational to its performance and, ultimately, its yield. A major...
Brainstorming with other growers a path to progress
Minhamite grower Tim Whitehead has won a GRDC Hyper Yielding Crops initiative award for his...
Decline in wholegrain bread
Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that Australian adults eat six servings of grains daily, preferably as...
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Innovation
Innovation
High-tech robotics and old-tech sheep lessen weeds and worries
While new weed technologies have a place, sheep are also important in risk-proofing a property...
Autonomy proves a game changer
Speaking at a GRDC/Society of Precision Agriculture Australia webinar, Tom Longmire said a SwarmFarm robot...
Software breakthroughs powering new genetic discoveries
With GRDC investment, Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) has developed CoreDetector, a software...
Economics stack up for wheat breeding investment
CAIGE, a global program evaluating bread wheat germplasm suitable for Australian growers, has delivered a...
Biotech’s role in a changing climate
Biotechnology has a critically important contribution to make as the agricultural sector produces more from...
Grains steps up preparations for GHG monitoring
With the grains industry, like agriculture more broadly, facing increasing pressure to know its carbon...
Genetic diversity matched to different farming system
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has invested in pulse phenology research led by...
Vale Alan Robson – a champion for agricultural science
Alan Robson, foundation director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, has...
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Farm business
Farm business
Family enterprise grows with new energy and ideas
With succession on the cards, the Joneses reflect on practices that have improved soils and...
Succession a time to reflect on progress
Jodie and Jeff Jones borrowed a header for their first harvest. Two decades on, with...
Ten tips to reduce the risk of harvester fires this season
Recent GRDC Harvester Set-up Workshops run across Australia’s grain growing regions have highlighted the importance...
Selecting grain protectants this harvest
GRDC's latest cereal protectants offer enhanced pest management. Key for growers: rotating Spinosad, Deltamethrin, Fenitrothion,...
Seeds need cool, dry conditions, no matter the variety
As investment in on-farm storage grows, new research shows why it is critical to maintain...
Give grain storage a pre-harvest health check
GRDC Grain Storage Extension team project lead Chris Warrick said the biggest challenge of storing...