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Research Projects

The SAGIT Podcast

On average, SAGIT invests $2 million a year in supporting research crucial to advancing South Australia’s $4.6 billion grain industry.

These projects deliver real improvements in countless areas of grain growing, farming systems, soil management, harvesting, storage, processing and marketing, and they also provide technical information to growers.

These podcast episodes outline some of the key projects undertaken in recent years. Please make sure you subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to stay up-to-date as we add new podcasts to the feed!

LATEST EPISODE

Agriculture education

Sue Pratt

With five jobs for every graduate in the agriculture sector, the importance of educating the next generation of agricultural workers about career opportunities is critical. In this podcast episode, AgCommunicators’ Sue Pratt talks about her role as the state’s first ever Lead Agriculture Teacher, providing support to teachers to confidently deliver high quality, engaging food and fibre content.

Crop root health workshops

Katherine Linsell

Soilborne diseases are a significant issue for South Australian farmers. It is estimated cereal root diseases cost grain growers in excess of $200 million annually in lost production. In this podcast episode, SARDI’s Dr Katherine Linsell talks about a series of workshops designed to give growers and advisers the skills to help them identify root disease issues in their paddocks.

Crop nutrition

Sean Mason

In this podcast episode, Dr Sean Mason from Agronomy Solutions, talks about various projects he has been involved with, including an ongoing project with Sam Holmes on the YP looking at inter-row cropping. One project with Glenn McDonald on time of sowing influence on P requirements, and a collaboration with Liz Farquharson looked at optimising P nutrition in pulses to maximise N fixation.

Awnless wheat varieties

Bertus Jacobs

In this podcast episode, Dr Bertus Jacobs from Longreach Plant Breeders, talks about the development of high quality awnless varieties currently undergoing classification for release in 2025. Not only do these new varieties have attractive frost management qualities, but their grain yields are equal to the best varieties currently available.

Canola profitability

Andrew Ware

Andrew Ware, independent agronomist with EPAG Research, talks about the deep-dive he’s taken into canola profitability research, what the limits are in terms of yields and how far to push the economic viability of adding nutrients. He also talks about his involvement with AIR EP and SAGIT and the importance of engaging interns and providing them a hands-on experience in applied field research.

Faba bean nutrients

Adam Hancock

Faba beans are one of the most commonly planted crops in South East SA. However, there are many competing thoughts on what nutrients and fertilisers should be applied to deliver the highest yields. Adam Hancock, Elders, talks about SAGIT funded research designed to quantify nutrient and fertiliser responses, particularly of the less commonly applied nutrients, as well as the validation of tissue testing results.

Lentil varieties for low rainfall areas

Larn McMurray

Huge areas of cropping land in SA are planted to lentils annually, however, issues such as weed control, herbicide damage, establishment, soil toxicity, frost, moisture stress, harvestability have slowed uptake in low rainfall and sandy soil environments. Dr Larn McMurray, Global Grain Genetics, talks about research which has led to the development of germplasm with improved traits and new varieties.

Head-loss in barley

Matthew Tucker

The risk of head-loss in barley crops is often enough of a deterrent for growers not to plant it. Finding a solution has been the focus of work by Associate Professor Matthew Tucker from the University of Adelaide. In this episode, Matthew talks about  SAGIT-funded projects exploring a combination of agronomy, genetics and engineering principles to try and reduce the yield losses associated with head-loss.

Frost Learning Centre for farmers, advisers and researchers

Mick Faulkner

Agrilink agronomic consultant Mick Faulkner talks about the Frost Learning Centre which he manages on behalf of the Mid North High Rainfall Zone Group.
The centre for farmers, advisers and researchers is a SAGIT and GRDC co-funded project with input from the Mid North High Rainfall Zone Group.

Boosting lentil productivity

Sam Trengove

Consultant Sam Trengove, Trengove Consulting, talks about SAGIT-funded work into increasing lentil productivity in SA. Lentil production often underperforms on sandy soils of the Yorke Peninsula, so Sam has run projects to understand the causes of low performance and identify cost-effective methods to boost productivity.

Common vetch as a break crop

Stuart Nagel

In this episode, Stuart Nagel, who leads the National Vetch Breeding Program (an investment by the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, a division of the SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions), talks about a SAGIT-funded project he has led on common vetch as a break crop for marginal cropping systems.

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