De-risking drilling to secure on-farm water supplies

De-risking drilling to secure on-farm water supplies

Securing reliable on-farm water is one of the most pressing challenges for Wheatbelt farmers facing consecutive dry seasons, with some spending over $60,000 in a single year just to keep water up to stock. In this episode, Dr Richard George from DPIRD and Professor Brett Harris from Curtin University talk about a targeted approach to finding water in fractured bedrock aquifers deep beneath the Wheatbelt landscape. Drawing on the results of Phase One of the WaterSmart Farms program, where 75% of sites struck usable groundwater, the conversation covers how precision magnetic surveying is dramatically improving drilling success rates, what reliable groundwater means for farm decision-making through dry periods, and what's needed to take this method from research into broad industry uptake via Phase Two's voucher program. * The Ripple Effect project - Grower Group Alliance [https://www.gga.org.au/activity/ripple-effect/] * WaterSmart Dams project - Grower Group Alliance [https://www.gga.org.au/activity/watersmart-dams/] * Water Smart Projects gallery - Grower Group Alliance [https://airtable.com/appdE63MyblMgd8OA/shrM9sm9F7Z7JmqrT/tblC4xn5ksgA48pwH] * MADFIG is delighted to announce the release of our first Podcast! - MADFIG [https://madfig.com.au/madfig-is-delighted-to-announce-the-release-of-our-first-podcast/] * WaterSmart Dams: Understanding dams with the Water Evaluation Platform - SW WA Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/podcast/watersmart-dams-understanding-dams-with-the-water-evaluation-platform/] * WaterSmart Farms voucher program - DPIRD [https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/businesses/grants-and-support/watersmart-farms-voucher-program/] * Water Evaluation Platform [https://waterevaluationplatform.app/dam/] * Hub news - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/hub-news/]

Smart Grazing: Breaking down barriers to technology adoption in the Southern Rangelands

Australia’s Southern Rangelands are some of the most variable and challenging pastoral landscapes in the world. Climate variability, rising costs, legacy land condition and large-scale operations can make it challenging to make management decisions and know where new technologies can genuinely add value. In this episode, landscape ecologist Richard Marver from Contour Consulting and Krystie Bremer, Executive Officer of the Gascoyne Pilbara Rangelands Initiative (GPRI), discuss the planning work underway through the Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands project. Drawing on decades of experience across the Southern Rangelands, they explore how a challenge led and place-based approach can support better grazing management. They discuss the role of local knowledge, peer to peer learning and demonstration sites in helping pastoral businesses assess where targeted technologies may improve decision making and drought resilience. The episode also explores the difficulty of navigating the rapidly growing agtech industry. Richard and Krystie discuss the SW WA Hub’s developing AgTech Adoption Guide, which aims to help pastoralists and advisers better understand available tools, likely costs and where different technologies may suit different operations. The conversation highlights that successful technology adoption is not simply about new tools. It depends on matching technology to local conditions, business goals and management capacity. The Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust. It is is led by Adelaide University through the SA Drought Hub. This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Doug Hamilton. * Southern Rangelands Revitalisation Program | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development [https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/businesses/grants-and-support/southern-rangelands-revitalisation-program/] * Gascoyne Regional Drought Resilience Plan [https://gdc.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Gascoyne-Drought-Plan-2025-compressed.pdf] * Managing livestock health and disease during dry seasons - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/podcast/managing-livestock-health-and-disease-during-dry-seasons/] * The triple bottom line: lessons from the Pastoral Business Toolbox - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/podcast/the-triple-bottom-line-lessons-from-the-pastoral-business-toolbox/] * Virtual fencing and drone monitoring: enhancing rangeland management through AgTech - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/podcast/virtual-fencing-and-drone-monitoring-enhancing-rangeland-management-through-agtech/] * Hub news - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/hub-news/]

Use of virtual fencing to build farm resilience

Virtual fencing could become a game-changer for Australian livestock producers, replacing kilometres of wire and hours of labour with a GPS collar and an app. But its potential goes well beyond convenience. By giving farmers unprecedented control over grazing pressure, virtual fencing is shaping up as a powerful tool for dry‑season management and climate resilience. In this episode, Esperance farmer Simon Fowler and SARDI researcher Bianca Agenbag unpack how the technology is helping producers maximise pasture utilisation, run virtual feedlots through feed gaps, and protect precious feed reserves when seasons turn tough. They also discuss the research underway to help farmers assess whether virtual fencing stacks up economically for their own operations. This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Doug Hamilton. * Virtual fencing: breaking down boundaries in livestock grazing - SW WA Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/podcast/virtual-fencing-breaking-down-boundaries-in-livestock-grazing/] * Virtually Fence Free project (Future Drought Fund) - NQ Dry Tropics [https://www.nqdrytropics.com.au/trial-boosts-drought-resilience/] * Commercialisation of Virtual Fencing for Livestock - SARDI / PIRSA [https://pir.sa.gov.au/regions-and-support/programs-and-initiatives/agtech/agtech_projects/virtual_fencing] * Virtual fencing for improved drought resilience on South Australian farms - SA Drought Hub [https://sadroughthub.com.au/project/hub-projects/virtual-fencing-for-improved-drought-resilience-on-south-australian-farms/] * Virtual fencing for improved drought resilience on South Australian farms - SW WA Hub [https://youtu.be/G9jGvcMILmA] * Virtual fencing provides productivity gains from strip grazing in broadacre farming - SW WA Hub [https://youtu.be/VHEyhyG9pes] * Hub news - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/hub-news/]

How strategic planning helps farmers stay ahead of uncertain seasons

Uncertain seasons require clear thinking, not more noise. In this episode, Rod Birch, a grain grower from Coorow, shares his approach to planning for and managing through dry seasons and broader uncertainty. Rod discusses the importance of focusing on core fundamentals, identifying key risks such as lower-than-expected rainfall, input supply and markets, and avoiding unnecessary noise when making decisions. The conversation explores planning across short, medium, and long timeframes, along with the role of good relationships and trusted advice in supporting decision making. While Rod speaks from a grain growing perspective, the principles apply across agriculture, reinforcing that although conditions change, the fundamentals of good planning remain the same. This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Dr Mary-Anne Glanzlowe. * Links on drought and mental health support - SW WA Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/resources/dry-season-resources/] * RiskWi$e - The National Risk Management Initiative - Grower Group Alliance [https://www.gga.org.au/activity/riskwise-the-national-risk-management-initiative/] * Navigating extreme seasonal variability in WA’s Wheatbelt - SW WA Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/podcast/navigating-extreme-seasonal-variability-in-was-wheatbelt/] * Hub news - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/hub-news/]

Optimising limited resources in challenging seasons

Input constraints are a challenge, not just currently in 2026, but also off the back of dry seasons when financial constraints can dominate decision making. In both contexts, smart allocation can make a real difference to whole of farm performance. In this episode, cropping farmer Dylan Hirsch from Latham WA and CSIRO research scientist Roger Lawes discuss practical strategies for making the most of limited inputs, with a strong focus on the highest input cost of nitrogen. They discuss how ranking paddocks by yield potential using historical data and remote sensing can help target limited inputs, while also considering how growers can adjust crop and rotation decisions when conditions or supply constraints change. Roger then shares insights from the national Grain Automate project, including a new calculator tool to help evaluate precision spraying investments. The conversation highlights the role of farm data in decision making to effectively optimise a constrained resource. This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Doug Hamilton. * Grain Automate Economic Model Calculator - Grain Automate - GRDC & CSIRO [https://farmcalculator.com.au/home] * Spray Program Calculator - GRDC & CSIRO [https://spray-tech-calc.com/] * Grain Automate - GRDC [https://grdc.com.au/research/partnerships-and-initiatives/major-initiatives/grain-automate] * Hub news - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/hub-news/]