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Dry Season Resources Podcast

The Hub’s Dry Season Resources podcast shares practical insights from farmers, researchers and other industry experts on managing dry seasons. Episodes cover strategies for early planning, in-season decisions, and preparing for the following year, helping build climate resilience across farming communities.

New episodes are released every second Wednesday.

You can listen to the latest episodes below. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major apps.

Have feedback or suggestions?

If you have ideas for topics we could cover on the podcast, we’d love to hear from you. You can email us at swwadroughthub@gga.org.au.

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.

S2E4 Grassroot approaches to support community mental health and wellbeing

20 March 202443:14

Brad Milsteed, farmer and founder of 6Bs (Blokes, BBQ’s, Bonfires, Beers, Bonding and Bullshit) and Owen Catto from the Regional Men’s Health Initiative, discuss grassroots approaches to support whole of community mental health and wellbeing that operate across regional WA.

S2E3 Benefits of confinement feeding and deferred grazing

6 March 202431:30

Congellin farmer, Sandra Fowler, and DPIRD Senior Field Veterinary Officer, Anna Erikson, discuss the benefits of confinement feeding and deferred grazing during a dry season and things to consider when implementing this type of system.

S2E2 Managing large spray programs in hot, dry and dusty conditions

21 February 202429:38

Application specialist Bill Campbell, from Campbell Ag, and Jemma Sadler, a Goomalling farmer talk about managing large spray programs with the hot, dry and dusty conditions experienced this summer.

S2E1 Managing risk using head, heart and gut with Planfarm and Nicon Rural Services

8 February 202439:52

Cameron Weeks, from Planfarm, and Cam Nicholson, from Nicon Rural Services, about making risky decisions. They discuss knowing about the extremes, and then managing the risks (both good and bad) around those extremes - using head, heart and gut.

S1E6 Livestock in a dry year with Elders and Agrarian

22 November 202335:57

Dean Hubbard, Michael Longford and Ashley Herbert talk about the impact of the dry season on livestock operations on WA farms. They cover markets for sheep and cattle, the seasonal conditions farmers and pastoralists are facing right now and the decision making around managing ground cover, animal welfare and classes of stock to hold or sell.

S1E5 N bank and retained nutrition after a low crop year with CSBP

22 November 202320:13

CSBP senior agronomist James Easton discusses considerations for growers when it comes to nitrogen bank and the possibility of retained nutrition after a low crop year.

S1E4 15 years of farming systems changes with DPIRD

22 November 202321:42

DPIRD research scientists Chad Reynolds and Wayne Parker explore the challenges facing growers in the northern-ag region and share some key dry season learnings.

S1E3 Key agronomy tips from 2023 with Crop Circle

10 November 202318:32

Agronomy consultant, Grant Thompson, talks about the impact that the low decile season has had on growers in the north. He explores the challenges of crop health, the opportunity to incorporate N up against low, infrequent rainfall, and unseasonably hot August days coupled with a warm dry end of the season.

S1E2 Best Practice Soil Management with DPIRD

10 November 202328:33

DPIRD Senior Soils Research Scientist, Dr Stephen Davies, discusses the cost-benefit of soil amelioration in a dry season through evaporation, water demand, and other drought stress damage. He shares his risk mitigation tips including shorter season crops, managing inputs, and chasing early moisture.