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Dry Season Resources Podcast

The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is dedicated to sharing information that supports growers in preparing for dry seasons.

On the Hub’s Dry Season Resources podcast, we chat with farmers and industry experts about preparing for a dry season. Topics covered range from early planning to tactical decision-making as the season changes throughout the year and setting up for the following season.

Find the latest episodes of the Dry Season Resources podcast below. Subscribe to the Hub’s podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

S2E13 Financial considerations at key decision-making times of the year

24 July 202430:18

Farmanco consultant Ben Curtis, and West River farmer Joel Ebert discuss key agronomic decision-making times of the year such as deciding on top up nitrogen, when to sell grain, and if fungicides are needed; but also discuss some of the emotional choices that farmers are making on that journey, such as buying land and succession planning.

S2E12 Business first: A decade of on-farm changes through the Drought Pilot program

10 July 202425:50

Farmers Tony White, from Miling, and Peter Daw, from Ravensthorpe, share the strategies they have incorporated into their farm businesses since completing the Western Australia Drought Pilot program over a decade ago.

S2E11 Silage, is it all it’s wrapped up to be?

26 June 202426:06

In this episode, we catch up with Dan Parnell, Regional Extension Officer at Western Dairy, and Borden farmer Paul O’Meehan to delve into the world of silage. Silage isn't widely used in the Wheatbelt, but Paul has been growing and utilising it near Borden for many years, and opened one pit after 5 years. Dan delivers TopFodder workshops, which focus on producing high-quality silage and hay.

S2E10 Profitable grazing systems to manage drought in the Southern Rangelands

12 June 202431:04

Brad Plunkett and Christophe D’Abbadie, both economists at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), have conducted extensive research on profitable and sustainable rangeland management systems in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

S2E9 Your weather questions answered

29 May 202424:46

In this episode, we are joined by Meredith Guthrie from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Michaela Alexander from the Bureau of Meteorology. Together, they discuss various weather tools that can help us gain deeper insights into our forecasts.

S2E8 Alternative feed sources for livestock in a dry year

15 May 202427:00

Joining us are Hayley Norman, a pasture researcher from CSIRO, and Emily Stretch, a farmer from Kojonup. They talk about the impact of the current dry season on livestock operations on WA farms and share alternative feed options farmers can consider.

S2E7 Financial literacy for young farmers

1 May 202436:45

Farmers may need to pull different levers to change or modify farm operations to minimise the impacts of a dry season on their business. Renae Piggott, a consultant with AgAsset, and Matt Hyde, a young Dalwallinu farmer, talk about the impact of a dry season on WA farms' cash flow and share useful tools and rules of thumb.

S2E6 Improving early crop establishment

17 April 202424:59

Good crop establishment and rapid, early growth can improve water efficiency, increase yields and help the crop to compete against weeds. However, early sowing comes with its risks. DPIRD Research Scientist, Glen Riethmuller, and Beacon farmer, Stuart Faulkner, give practical tips for getting good crop establishment when sowing early.

S2E5 Getting the most out of on-farm technologies

3 April 202428:01

Smart Farms coordinator for Stirlings to Coast Farmers, Phil Honey, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, Roger Lawes, and Latham farmer, Dylan Hirsch, talk about the role of digital technologies in agricultural businesses and how they can address farming system challenges and improve in-season decision making when faced with a variable climate.