Crop Disease Podcast

Have you ever heard of a lab-based Professor going out to the country and trying his hand at seeding? To learn more about the end-use of agrochemicals, CCDM's Deputy Director Josh Mylne has given it a go, currently in the middle of a 12 day stint with farmer Clint Della Bosca out on the eastern fringe of the wheatbelt. In this podcast, Josh will give a quick run down on his seeding experience so far and how it will help his research in agrochemicals. Clint will also give an update on his seeding program, as well as his plans for the coming season.

ere at the Centre for Crop and Disease Management, we've been pretty good at identifying cases of fungicides resistance, and letting farmers know if they have it in the paddock. As good as this is, we've only been able to say if the resistant pathogen is present or absent, and not able to tell them how much is there, and what strategy will have the biggest impact in managing it... But we're getting closer! In this podcast episode, CCDM researcher Noel Knight discusses his project into fungicide resistance frequencies, where he has been studying 20 barley paddocks in the WA wheatbelt, and has determined the exact percentage of fungicide resistant net blotch pathogens. Kellerberrin and Cunderdin agronomist Dan Taylor from DKT Rural Agencies also joins the show to give his perspective on the research and how this information could help growers improve their fungicide management strategies.

SDHI Resistance in South Australia Did you hear about the fungicide resistance discovery in the Yorke Peninsula last year? Net form net blotch (NFNB) of barley was declared fungicide resistant to the SDHI fungicide fluxapyroxad. In this episode, CCDM fungicide resistance researcher Fran Lopez-Ruiz joins Megan Jones as they discuss the situation, talking about why it happened, how to manage it, and how this can be prevented in other Australian regions. First up they talk to Central Ag Solutions agronomist Sam Holmes who was the first to notice an issue with fungicide control and to alert SARDI. Sam talks about the factors that likely led to the resistance problem, including barley on barley rotation, the same variety grown throughout the region, and early sowing. Next they talk to Tara Garrard, SARDI cereals pathologist who advises on the best way to manage resistance in the region, by avoiding SDHI fungicides, avoiding the more susceptible varieties, and avoiding a barley on barley rotation. In the podcast Fran comments further on the fungicide resistance discovery, and why Australian growers are at higher risk of developing resistance, due to the larger paddock sizes, the limited modes of actions that are available and also the tighter rotations of the same variety. This podcast can be listened to on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spodify, Tune in, Pocketcasts and more, just search “Crop Disease Podcast”.

With 330 samples sent in during the 2019 season from 173 farmers, net blotch resistance in the South of the WA grainbelt is now less of a mystery. In the next Crop Disease Podcast, CCDM Director Mark Gibberd joins Megan Jones as they discuss the results from the Barley Disease Cohort Project, where about 15 per cent of samples carried the mutation associated with fungicide resistance – CYP51A F489L – which were widespread throughout the grainbelt. First up they talk to Grass Patch farmer Dan Sanderson, who sent in a few barley leaves in September last year, and received a negative result for the mutation. Dan talks about his disease management strategies and how the result will help him manage disease going forward. Next they talk to Chris Robinson, a Farmanco Agronomist based in Kojonup, to hear his take on the results and what his clients will do differently this season, including the application of an SDHI fungicide to the program if needed. Mark then finishes with some key recommendations for managing net blotch resistance, and the next steps for the project, which aims to provide economical, regionally relevant advice for growers managing fungicide resistance. This podcast can be listened to on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spodify, Tune in, Pocketcasts and more, just search “Crop Disease Podcast”.

How is your 2020 season plan shaping up to be? In this episode CCDM farming systems economist Amir Abadi once again joins Megan Jones as they prepare growers for disease management in 2020, particularly for those who are coming from a drought or drier year. First up they talk to producer Ben Webb from Kojonup, WA, who has a mixed sheep and cropping enterprise, growing canola, wheat, oats, lupins, faba beans and vetches. Ben talks about his plans for the upcoming season, following on from a drier season in 2019, and the importance of rotation in driving down crop disease issues. Next they talk to Steven Simpfendorfer, who is a cereals pathologist from NSW DPI based in Tamworth. Steven talks about the dry conditions in the Northern and Central NSW regions, and how growers can maximise their chances of being profitable this season by considering their disease management. Finally Amir talks about the importance of fungicide timing and linking this to the weather, as well as strategies around spraying preventatively versus curatively. This podcast can be listened to on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spodify, Tune in, Pocketcasts and more, just search “Crop Disease Podcast”.

The year 2019 may not have been the best for most growers around Australia, but with the ‘not so good’ growing conditions, comes a silver lining. Crop diseases held back, giving them a break from an expensive fungicide program. In this episode CCDM director Mark Gibberd once again joins Megan Jones as they discuss last season, and the strategies growers are using to manage disease. First up they talk to Geoff Thomas, DPIRD plant pathologist about his take on the 2019 season for WA growers. Geoff talks about the way growers are increasingly becoming more tactical when managing disease. They also talk to Nick Poole, FAR Australia managing director, who discusses the high rainfall zones of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, and how growers are seeing a resurgence in septoria tritici blotch. Nick also talks about the difficulties in managing this disease. Finally, Mark ends the podcast with summarising the top 4 strategies for 2019: resistant varieties, crop rotation, fungicide timing, and fungicide rotation. This podcast can be listened to on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spodify, Tune in, Pocketcasts and more, just search “Crop Disease Podcast”.

Harvest. It’s upon us again. But as you dust off the big machine, have you thought about how you will manage your stubble this season? In this episode CCDM’s farming systems economist Amir Abadi once again joins Megan Jones as they discuss how to best manage stubble in different parts of the country. First up they talk to Cassandra Schefe, research coordinator from the Riverine Plains Farming Group about their five-year research trial into retaining stubble and the effect on yield. They also talk to Garren Knell, WA consultant from ConsultAg based in Narrogin, who talks about research looking at barley on barley rotations in the mid rainfall zone, and how stubble management can help reduce disease load going into the following season. Garren also talks about the importance of integrated disease management, and Amir finishes off with a roundup of how growers can economically reduce their disease risk – simply by protecting that flag leaf. This podcast can be listened to on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spodify, Tune in, Pocketcasts and more, just search “Crop Disease Podcast”. The GRDC podcast on Garren’s work that Megan refers to can be found here: https://grdc.com.au/news-and-media/audio/podcast/spot-form-net-blotch-on-barley

Have you checked your crop lately and thought that last spray should have worked better? It’s possible you might have fungicide resistance. But what does fungicide resistance look like, and how can you tell you have it? In this episode CCDM’s fungicide resistance expert Fran Lopez-Ruiz once again joins Megan Jones as they discuss how to know if you have resistance in your paddock, and what to do about it. First up they talk to Brent Pritchard, a well-known WA agronomist from Farmanco, Albany, who has seen fungicide resistance identified in his area since the first case of barley powdery mildew back in 2010. Brent talks about how growers are noticing more cases of fungicide resistant net blotch in their area, and how industry can work to reduce it. They also talk to Angela Van de Wouw, a canola blackleg expert from the University of Melbourne, who talks about how her team are working to develop solutions for growers managing resistant blackleg on their properties. You can also view a video on her work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egR38M1CBGw Brent mentions the CCDM Barley Disease Cohort Project. More information on that project here: www.ccdm.com.au/cohortproject As mentioned in the podcast, you can also read about CCDM’s barley pre-breeding work against net blotch disease here www.ccdm.com.au/netblotch

Net blotch – both spot form and net form net blotch – are 2 very common barley diseases in Australia. However, in WA’s South, not only are they common, but they have also been classified as fungicide resistant to some of the Group 3 fungicides. In this episode, CCDM Director Mark Gibberd teams up with host Megan Jones as they talk to two growers from this region who are taking control of net blotch on their properties. Scott Smith, a grower from the Albany Port Zone, says he was one of the first to have an identified case of fungicide resistant spot form net blotch on his property. Since this discovery, Scott now manages net blotch disease by using resistant varieties, rotating his crops where possible, and alternating the modes of actions within his fungicide application strategy. Con Murphy is a grower from the Esperance Port Zone, who has also made similar changes to managing net blotch. One such change was going from a one fungicide to a three fungicide program within the past couple of years, to help ensure fungicides continue to control net blotch on his property for many years to come. As well as discussing the importance of their strategies, Mark also talks about a new CCDM project – the Barley Disease Cohort Project – that will help find regionally relevant solutions for growers in the South end of the WA Wheatbelt to better manage fungicide resistant net blotch. As mentioned in the podcast, more information about this project can be found at www.ccdm.com.au/cohortproject

When is the best time to spray a cereal crop? Join CCDM's Megan Jones and farming systems economist Amir Abadi as they discuss how important timing actually is when wanting to get the most profitable return on your property. First up they chat with WA consultant Geoff Fosberry from Consultag and get his perspective on spraying preventatively versus spraying on time to protect the flag leaf. He also covers how the cost of fungicides can affect his clients’ decisions on number of applications. Second they chat to Mark McLean, a plant pathologist from Agriculture Victoria, based in Horsham, who talks about his research into control of net form net blotch of barley using fungicides, and the optimal times to spray for the best economical returns. Using examples from a WA case study, Amir explains the importance of protecting the photosynthetic area of the flag leaf where in average to above average rainfall seasons growers could see up to $60/ha benefit for their properties. More information on fungicide resistance, as mentioned in the podcast, can be found at www.ccdm.com.au/frg You can also read more about Amir's economic modelling in the CCDM Spotlight at ccdm.com.au/ccdm-resources/newsletter-blog/

Sclerotinia, one of the most talked about crop diseases, continues to challenge canola growers. Join CCDM's Megan Jones and sclerotinia expert Sarita Bennett as we discuss how to get on top of this difficult disease for the coming growing season. We chat with WA Consultant David Pfeiffer from Synergy Consulting and get his perspective on how to manage the disease with the limited tools available including fungicide management. We also chat with pulse and oilseed pathologist Kurt Lindbeck from NSW DPI, who sheds light on some research on what growers can do going forward into this season, given sclerotes can survive for up to 10 years in the soil. Through a collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, CCDM researchers are investigating how germplasm from the more resistant global canola lines can be adapted to Australian canola populations. Read more about this here: https://groundcover.grdc.com.au/story/6135108/search-finds-partial-resistance-to-sclerotinia-stem-rot-in-canola/ Sclerotinia is highly dependent on the season, and monitoring your canola crop is essential for its control. In this podcast Sarita mentions SclerotiniaCM - a new app by DPIRD that uses a forecasting model to assist canola growers with fungicide application decisions. Read more about this here: https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/apps/sclerotinacm-sclerotinia-management-app

How will you manage crop disease this season? CCDM's Megan Jones along with co-host Fran Lopez-Ruiz talk to two experts in fungicide and disease management for their top 3 tips for 2019. We spoke to: Nick Poole, Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) - based in Victoria Geoff Thomas, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) - based in WA