Dry Season Resources

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/]

2026 Seasonal forecast: It’s going to rain, but when and how much?

Seasonal climate outlooks can inform planning, but they are only one part of farm decision-making. In this episode, Dr Meredith Guthrie, from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Phil Smyth, northern Wheatbelt agronomist from Nutrien Coorow, talk about the 2026 seasonal outlook. Meredith explains current climate drivers, how to interpret climate model probabilities and how the potential development of an El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole may result in 2026 looking a bit like the difficult year of 2023. They then go on to discuss what these forecasts may mean for growers, including dry sowing, crop selection, managing input costs, and making the most of early rainfall opportunities. The conversation highlights the importance of using forecasts as guidance while focusing on sound management decisions throughout the season and how there is always space for hope. 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. * Long-range weather, climate and water availability - Bureau of Meteorology [https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/] * Seasonal Climate Outlook - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development [https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/about-us/newsletters/seasonal-climate-outlook/] * Long-range forecasts: weeks, months and seasons - Bureau of Meteorology [https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/overview/summary] * Hub news - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/hub-news/]

Water quality the hidden driver of spray efficacy

Water quality is one of the most overlooked factors in spray performance, yet it can have major impacts on efficacy, compatibility and long-term resistance risk. In this episode, agronomist Bill Campbell from Campbell Ag and Damon Cusack from the Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG) discuss how water quality varies across Western Australia and what growers can do to better manage it. They explore common issues including hard water tying up glyphosate, high turbidity reducing the effectiveness of paraquat, and elevated pH shortening the half-life of certain insecticides and fungicides. The conversation highlights key results from FBG’s Water Quality Snapshot project, which revealed significant variability in water sources, even between dams on the same farm. Practical strategies include testing all water sources, ranking them by quality, matching water to product where possible, and investing in storage or treatment systems. The episode also points to useful tools and fact sheets available through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). A small investment in understanding your water could make a big difference to spray results and farm resilience. This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) and is hosted by Doug Hamilton. * Sprayer workshops – filter to “west” region and “workshops” - GRDC [https://grdc.com.au/events/list] * Water tests - CSBP [https://csbplab.com.au/tests/water] * WaterSmart Dams: Making Dams Work Again — Fitzgerald Biosphere Group [https://www.fbg.org.au/current-projects-expanded/watersmartdams] * Water Evaluation Platform - University of Western Australia [https://waterevaluationplatform.app/dam/] * Water quality factsheet - GRDC [https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/factsheets/2019/spray-water-quality] * Spray mixing and batch guides - GRDC [https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/all-publications/publications/2022/mixing-and-batching-agricultural-chemical-application-grower-case-studies] * Water Smart Dams project - Grower Group Alliance [https://www.gga.org.au/activity/watersmart-dams/] * Hub news - Drought Hub [https://hub.gga.org.au/hub-news/]