NSW DPI - Podcast Details

Shows

NSW DPI AgronomyImproving sorghum yields & quality in northern NSW.Listen to NSW DPIRD's sorghum expert Loretta Serafin discuss the on-farm research conducted in NW NSW over the last ~ 5 years by her team on agronomic tweaks for sorghum yield improvement.Setting your paddock up for success.Optimising planting time & the place of early planting.Choosing the most suitable row spacings for your region.Getting nutrition right.Hybrid selection.2025-06-3058 min

NSW DPI AgronomyAphids & viruses in broadleaf crops.We talk to NSW DPIRD's aphid & virus experts, Joop van Leur, Zorica Duric & Solomon Maina on:-Viruses: the basics & why they mutate & how they are transmitted.-Aphids: which ones are an issue to us in winter cropping.-Insecticide resistance.-Management options.2025-06-231h 08

NSW DPI AgronomyManaging blackleg in canola 2025.Listen to NSW DPIRD's Kurt Lindback & Marcrofts Grains Pathology, Steve Marcroft talk all things blackleg in canola:-disease life cycle -seedling versus upper canopy infection-how to know the risk in your paddock-varietal resistance. The differences & how & why this changes-when to use & not to use fungicides-fungicide resistance.2025-06-1647 min

The Business of DairyProducing milk with less lactose - why?Producing milk with less lactose – why might this be important? Our guest this month is Juan Garguilo, one of my NSW DPIRD colleagues. Juan has been involved in a number of research projects as part of the NSW Dairy Up R& D initiative and if you are a long-term listener of this podcast, you will have heard his Argentinian accent before!Juan, in conjunction with other well known dairy researchers, Professor Yani Garcia (University of Sydney) and Russ Hovey (University of California – Davis) has analysed the lactose content in milk – lactose being a milk solid that you don’t...2025-06-0317 min

The Business of DairyNew Season Milk Price OutlookWe are now entering milk pricing season in the Australian dairy industry, which means there will be plenty of headline news as we head into milk processors announcing prices on the 1st June as required under the mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct.Joanne Bills, Director of the Global Insights team with Ever.Ag (Freshagenda) outlines their forecast around milk pricing with particular reference to the NSW industry and we also discuss some of the implications of the Trump Administration’s tariff announcements on the Australian dairy industry. Milk Value Portal (MVP) Fresh...2025-05-0133 min

The Business of DairyLameness and Mastitis in the Wet – Mark Humphris and Ruth KyddOver 170 dairy farms across SE QLD and the North Coast of NSW were impacted by severe flooding and wet conditions as a result of Tropical Cyclone Alfred in early March this year, 2025. This resulted in losses of power, pasture and crop and other feed losses, for some farms a period of time where milk was unable to be picked up and infrastructure damage on farm and off farm such as land slips impacting road access to farms. Herd health is always a major issue in this situation and this month we focus particularly on the impact of m...2025-03-3145 min

NSW DPI AgronomyWhat cereal diseases could be an issue in 2025? What's the washup from 2024?Listen to NSW DPIRD's 'dynamic duo', Steve Simpfendorfer and Brad Baxter discuss:What we learnt in 2024 and disease legacy effects for 2025.What's showing up in the stubble testing from this summer.What diseases could be an issue this season.Management tips.2025-03-1745 min

Australian Hunting and Beyond Podcast90. NZ Tahr trip, DPI Booking System and Spearfishing FADSMatt is joined by Rob from Athena Spatial to tell us about his recent trip to New Zealand chasing Tahr and how it all went. They then discuss the NSW DPI booking system and ideas to improve it for all stakeholders. Rob then tells about his solo spearfishing trip to the FADS and getting Dolphin fish and a bull shark encounter.Want to support the show? Then checkout our shop and buy me a coffee. Alternatively, if you love coffee then check out Final Press and use the code AHBPODCAST to get 10% off and...2025-03-091h 09

The Business of DairyDrought Forecasting and Seasonal ConditionsToo hot, too dry, too wet - seasonal conditions can be challenging to manage for those on the land. Forecasting for the season ahead can be difficult but is important when planning what you will do now or in the coming months. The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Climate team have some excellent freely available resources including a recently released Drought Forecasting tool. Kel Langfield and Jen Wurtzel from the team step us through these tools and how they can be used by farmers and their advisors. Please use the links in the show notes to...2025-03-0131 min

NSW DPI AgronomyMeet NSW DPIRD's up and coming scientists and their cool research!Introducing some of NSW DPIRD's young researchers and the projects they are looking into:Nicole Dron:Heat tolerance in pulses.Grain protein in pulses, why does it matter?Intergrated disease management (IDM) in in faba bean.Nitrogen fixation.Sam Blanch:Charcoal rot in summer crops.Net form net blotch in barley.Mitch Clifton:Long coleoptile wheats.2025-02-2448 min

The Business of DairyTips and tricks for dairy developments in NSW Are you a farmer or interested party looking to undertake a development on your dairy farm? Planning farm developments is complex and involves planning and assessment requirements which can be tricky to navigate. This month my colleague Zita Ritchie discusses the recent release of the NSW Dairy Development Guidelines with Clare Fitzpatrick who is a renowned and respected planning consultant within the dairy industry. The guidelines are designed to help anyone involved in decision making around planning, design, construction and operation of a dairy development. They also contain an excellent farmer checklist highlighting key areas to...2025-01-3131 min

Quail Cast - Your Ultimate Guide to Raising, Breeding, and Caring for Quails01. Mastering Japanese Quail: Expert Breeding, Incubation & Commercial Tips (NSW DPI Guide Breakdown)Unlock the secrets of raising Japanese quail like a pro! Inspired by the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ definitive guide, this episode dives deep into: 🥚 Step-by-Step Incubation & Brooding: Perfecting egg candling, humidity control, and temperature settings for high hatch rates. Preventing cannibalism with stress-free handling and optimal flock density. Automatic egg turning hacks and brooder setup tips for healthy chicks. 🏡 Quail Care Essentials: Designing low-cost, sanitary housing (indoors or outdoors) for urban/rural setups. Protein-rich diets for egg production and growth—complete feed formulas decoded. Combatting commo...2025-01-2729 min

The Business of DairyUps & Downs of NSW Dairy Farm Monitor 2023-24The 13th year of the Dairy Farm Monitor Project in NSW was one in which strong milk prices managed to hold gross farm incomes relatively stable. Increases in operating costs reduced average Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) relative to the previous year, with the most noticeable impact coming from purchased feed costs.On average, profits for the 36 NSW Dairy Farm Monitor Project (DFMP) participants remained strong at $2.12/kgMS and above the long-term average of $1.36/kgMS, for the fourth consecutive year. This translates to an average return on total assets of 4.5%. This month I discuss the ups a...2025-01-0132 min

The Shark Net PodcastEpisode 8: Politics, politics, politics...A final update for 2024, with some looking ahead to 2025!QueenslandAs many of you may know, Queensland has changed government, and with it, there are new Ministers and portfolios. Ministers of note for us are:David Crisafulli - PremierAnthony (Tony) Perrett - Minister for Primary IndustriesAndrew Powell - Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and InnovationWe have requested meetings with all three, and encourage you to do the same. Prior to the election, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (previously Queensland Department of A...2024-12-1619 min

The Business of DairyImpacts and adaptations for our 2050 climateVery hot – that is the forecast for the summer ahead. Heat has immediate impacts on the performance of our dairy herd and pastures, but it also impacts other industries we rely on such as the broadacre cropping industry. Extensive work has been undertaken by the NSW Department of Primary Industries Climate Vulnerability Assessment program and also our own Dairy Unit through the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program to understand what the on farm climatic impact will be in NSW dairying regions by 2050. Our guests this month, James Lawson – Project Officer with the Climate Vulnerability Assessment team and B...2024-11-3031 min

The Business of DairyRevisiting profitable pasture management and silage productionFeed costs are the highest operational costs in a dairy business, so it is vital that we manage these well in order to enhance our farm’s profitability. We are currently well into a somewhat mild spring here, in most regions of New South Wales, so thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit some earlier podcast episodes on key aspects of profitable pasture management and silage making.The extracts come from a couple of very popular episodes and even though they are a couple of years old, the messages and key principles discussed are as...2024-10-3126 min

The Business of DairyResponses and Decision Making in Natural DisastersLate in 2023, a group of dairy farmers from across NSW were interviewed about their experiences, decisions made, support networks and lessons learnt following a number of recent natural disaster events, including the 2021-2022 floods. Tori Alexander (DPIRD) and Nikki Reichelt (University of Melbourne) share some of the findings from these interviews and the key challenges and successes observed. For further information on the interview findings and products take a look at the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program (SFIRP) webpage, or the DPIRD Dairy webpage as resources become available.This podcast is an initiative of t...2024-10-0127 min

The Business of DairyMoving and Managing our Dairy BusinessNSW dairy farmer Brad Winzer shares his journey, moving their well-established family farm from Northern Victoria to the Mid Coast of New South Wales – the reasons why, the differences between farms and the challenges they faced. He outlines the key support people he uses in the business, how he manages and monitors the performance of the business, and the things he focusses on to drive a profitable farm performance.This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory UnitIt is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services...2024-08-3121 min

NSW DPI AgronomyCereal disease update, 19.8.24.🎧 PODCAST: Cereal disease update 🎧NSW DPIRD's Brad Baxter, Steve Simpfendorfer and Sam Blanch chat with us re:-Cereal disease update & what might be a problem for the rest of the season.-Frequent questions they are being asked.-Fungicides & the kick-back period.-Stripe rust & adult plant resistance (APR) & how it works.-Net form net blotch (NFNB) research. 2024-08-1948 min

The Shark Net PodcastEpisode 6: Weird flex, DPI…Minister Tara Moriarty confirmed on 30/07/24 that shark nets would return for yet another summer, albeit with a one month shorter meshing season.NSW DPI shark programs leader Marcel Green said the changes this summer were the most significant made to the netting program in 40 years.If the biggest progress in a program designed to catch and kill threatened and protected wildlife in over 40 years, is shortening the program by one month, that speaks volumes. For over 10 years, the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) and the Fisheries Scientific Committee (FSC) have condemned the program, wh...2024-08-1511 min

NSW DPI AgronomyHow do I protect my canola yield from now till harvest?How to manage diseases in your canola from now till harvest.NSW DPIRD's Kurt Lindbeck gives us some tips on: -Knowing your crop's disease risk from now till maturity. -Some key aspects of sclerotinia & blackleg's life cycle that can influence your decision to spray or not. -Real life scenarios from the paddock & management options.2024-08-1343 min

The Business of DairyIntensive Dairying - Profitability and Risk InsightsThis month’s episode focuses on a project looking at intensive dairy systems in Inland NSW and Northern Victoria over the last 7 years. This has provided the industry with quality foundational information on the profitability, cost structures and risks of these systems. Claire Waterman from Agriculture Victoria and Sheena Carter (NSW DPI) led the project for their respective regions and were recently interviewed for a Rural Bank podcast called “Beyond the Farm Gate”. A big thank you to Rural Bank who have kindly allowed us to use the recording to share the project findings via this podcast. Li...2024-07-3125 min

NSW DPI AgronomyTips for getting sorghum right in 2024.Growing sorghum in 2024? Tips for getting it right with NSW DPI's Loretta Serafin.NSW DPI's Research Agronomist Loretta Serafin chats with us about grain sorghum.Recent research into: -Row spacing -Planting times -NutritionAnd how to 'build the package' to maximise your sorghum yields in the coming season.Show more 2024-07-2959 min

NSW DPI AgronomyDisease update with Steve Simpfendorfer and Joop van Leur.NSW DPI's plant pathologists, Steve Simpfendorfer & Joop van Leur, talks us through diseases and viruses showing up in paddocks:Is it really disease?Septoria: 'the most mis-diagnosed disease of 2024". What it looks like, what it's lifecycle is.The difference between yellow leaf spot and septoria.Virus in canola, what the story?Correct use of fungicides.2024-07-1145 min

The Business of DairyFeed Conversion Efficiency – at What Cost?Feed costs are typically the largest component of operational costs in a dairy business, typically making up 50 – 60% of total costs, depending on feeding system, seasons and conditions. Hence it is vital that what is being fed to the cows results in good milk production. David Barber, DairyNEXT nutritionist joins us this month to discuss the important topic of feed conversion efficiency. He outlines what it is, how to measure it, targets for different types of feeding systems and factors that can impact it. He also introduces a metric he calls ‘True Feed Conversion Efficiency’, which he uses to determine how ec...2024-06-3032 min

NSW DPI AgronomyFaba bean diseases & management strategies with Kurt Lindbeck.NSW DPI's plant pathologist, Kurt Lindbeck, talks us through the diseases of faba bean:-What diseases are dominant in the north versus the south.-Threats in 2024.-Conditions favouring diseases.-Management strategies.Want more info? Head to:"Managing diseases of faba bean 2024"www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/p…ean-in-2024.pdf 2024-06-2531 min

NSW DPI AgronomyCereal disease & aphid update. June 2024Join NSW DPI's plant pathologists Steve Simpfendorfer and Brad Baxter and entomologist Zorica Duric with an update on:-What diseases have been identified so far in 2024.-Is it a disease or is it weather or herbicide related or a combination of the above?-Correct fungicide timing.-Aphids: what species are about & how to manage them.2024-06-0337 min

The Business of DairyDecision Making and Risk Management with a Family BoardThe use of a structured approach within a NSW dairying business to assist with decision making and risk management, is discussed this month with Kay Smith from Bulahdelah. The Smiths have been operating a family dairy business for over 40 years and 5 years ago, faced with a number of challenges, were weighing up their future options. One of these involved a significant change to the business requiring a lot of capital investment and risk. Kay introduces us to the business and steps us through their reason for creating their advisory group, how they set it up and how it assisted...2024-05-3135 min

The Business of DairyFinancing Dairy Farm InfrastructureThis episode follows on from episode 35 “Successfully navigating farm loans” but focusses specifically on financing for large infrastructure projects such as cow housing facilities. This topic was addressed by my guest, Greg Kuchel, Senior Insights Manager at Rural Bank at the 2nd Raising the Roof conference in Hunter Valley of NSW earlier this year. Greg also touches on the evolving area of farm Carbon Plans and their place in seeking farm finance.Links to useful resources related to this podcast:Rural Bank Insight ReportsAustralian Dairy Carbon CalculatorDairyBaseThis...2024-04-3022 min

NSW DPI AgronomyCereal diseases: the 2024 pre-season edition with Brad and Simphy.NSW DPI's Brad Baxter & Steve Simpfendorfer talk us through:-How the season is shaping up.-What diseases could be an issue in 2024.-What diseases are out there already.-How to mitigate for these.-What the 2023 Rust Reports from Sydney University have taught us.....and Brad's lack of chocolate consumption over Easter...... 2024-04-0235 min

The Business of DairySuccessfully Navigating Farm LoansMy guest for this episode is Greg Kuchel, Senior Insights Manager at Rural Bank who spoke recently at the “Raising the Roof” conference in Hunter Valley of NSW about farm loans in particular for infrastructure loans related to cow housing facilities. Greg and I had such a good discussion that we have turned this into a two-part series. This first episode covers the general principles and considerations when approaching banks for finance – what you need to do, information you need to provide, what banks are looking for from you and in you and the types of loans available. In the ne...2024-03-3125 min