In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk Podcast 🎙️, host Sarah Day catches up with growers David Daniel, Adrian Bormann and Nathan Paech 🚜 to reflect on the season 🌱 and unpack their experiences with variable rate technology (VRT).

Together, they explore the motivations behind running test strips and the key insights gained along the way. The growers share honest reflections on using data to guide decisions 📊, optimise inputs 💧🌾, and refine their approach for future seasons 🌤️.

Listeners will come away with practical, paddock-ready advice 💡 on integrating VRT and test strips into their own farming systems.

🌾 If you want to hear more, like 👍 and subscribe 🔔 to the MSF Farm Talk Podcast 🚜🎙️

This podcast episode is supported by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board and the Australian Government through funding from the National Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk Podcast 🎙️, host Sarah Day catches up with growers David Daniel, Adrian Bormann and Nathan Paech 🚜 to reflect on the season 🌱 and unpack their experiences with variable rate technology (VRT).
Together, they explore the motivations behind running test strips and the key insights gained along the way. The growers share honest reflections on using data to guide decisions 📊, optimise inputs 💧🌾, and refine their approach for future seasons 🌤️.
Listeners will come away with practical, paddock-ready advice 💡 on integrating VRT and test strips into their own farming systems.
🌾 If you want to hear more, like 👍 and subscribe 🔔 to the MSF Farm Talk Podcast 🚜🎙️
This podcast episode is supported by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board and the Australian Government through funding from the National Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.
See&nbsp;<a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a>&nbsp;for privacy information.

MSF's Farm Talk Podcast proudly brings Farmers, Researchers and Ag Industry connections together to chat innovative farming practices to help build a sustainable farming future for our Mallee growers. Mallee Sustainable Farming is a farmer-driven organisation specialising in Research, Development and Extension for NSW, VIC & SA's low-rainfall Mallee region. For more information visit: www.msfp.org.au/podcast 

MSF's Farm Talk Podcast proudly brings Farmers, Researchers and Ag Industry connections together to chat innovative farming practices to help build a sustainable farming future for our Mallee growers. Mallee Sustainable Farming is a farmer-driven organisation specialising in Research, Development and Extension for NSW, VIC &amp; SA's low-rainfall Mallee region. For more information visit: <a href="http://www.msfp.org.au/podcast">www.msfp.org.au/podcast</a>&nbsp;

MSF Farm Talk Podcast

MSF's Farm Talk Podcast proudly brings Farmers, Researchers and Ag Industry connections together to chat innovative farming practices to help build a sustainable farming future for our Mallee growers. Mallee Sustainable Farming is a farmer-driven organisation specialising in Research, Development and Extension for NSW, VIC & SA's low-rainfall Mallee region.

MSF's Farm Talk Podcast proudly brings Farmers, Researchers and Ag Industry connections together to chat innovative farming practices to help build a sustainable farming future for our Mallee growers. Mallee Sustainable Farming is a farmer-driven organisation specialising in Research, Development and Extension for NSW, VIC &amp; SA's low-rainfall Mallee region.

MSF Farm Talk

Test Strips, Tough Seasons: What VRT Is Really Delivering

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, PIRSA’s Amanda Schapel shares insights from the long-running, collaborative, Soil CRC Sandy Soil Project. The project is investigating how clay and organic amendments can improve the productivity and resilience of sandy soils through literature reviews, pot trials and long-term multi-site field research.

Amanda explains why sandy soils can behave so differently depending on factors such as depth to clay, grain size and rainfall environment, while also outlining the multiple constraints often present in sandy systems, including compaction, acidity, water repellence, and poor nutrient and water-holding capacity.

Drawing on a review of 89 projects and 270 treatments, the episode explores how organic amendments can rapidly improve deep sandy soils, although benefits may decline after several years, while subsoil clay provides a slower but more persistent productivity response. Amanda also discusses the performance of novel amendments including bentonite, zeolite and compost products, highlighting the importance of matching amendments to specific soil constraints and balancing long-term benefits with cost-effectiveness.

Project page with additional resources including research report, fact sheets and webinars: https://soilcrc.com.au/projects/new-amendments-for-sandy-soils/

This work has been supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils, whose activities are funded by the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program.

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast, PIRSA&rsquo;s Amanda Schapel shares insights from the long-running, collaborative, Soil CRC Sandy Soil Project. The project is investigating how clay and organic amendments can improve the productivity and resilience of sandy soils through literature reviews, pot trials and long-term multi-site field research.
Amanda explains why sandy soils can behave so differently depending on factors such as depth to clay, grain size and rainfall environment, while also outlining the multiple constraints often present in sandy systems, including compaction, acidity, water repellence, and poor nutrient and water-holding capacity.
Drawing on a review of 89 projects and 270 treatments, the episode explores how organic amendments can rapidly improve deep sandy soils, although benefits may decline after several years, while subsoil clay provides a slower but more persistent productivity response. Amanda also discusses the performance of novel amendments including bentonite, zeolite and compost products, highlighting the importance of matching amendments to specific soil constraints and balancing long-term benefits with cost-effectiveness.
Project page with additional resources including research report, fact sheets and webinars:&nbsp;<a href="https://soilcrc.com.au/projects/new-amendments-for-sandy-soils/">https://soilcrc.com.au/projects/new-amendments-for-sandy-soils/</a>
This work has been supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils, whose activities are funded by the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program.

Sandy Soils, New Solutions: Insights from Soil CRC Project

Mallee Sustainable Farming Research Officer Louise Brok shares insights from the Millewa long-term crop rotation trial established in 2025 in the Victorian Mallee. The trial is evaluating pulse-inclusive farming systems, featuring 50% legumes across five fully phased rotations over four years. The project is investigating profitability, nitrogen fixation and fertiliser requirements, and groundcover retention. Designed for the low-organic-carbon sandy soils of the region, the work aims to test and validate farming systems that improve both productivity and resilience in high-risk environments.

Despite an extremely dry 2025 season — with crops dry sown on 5 May and receiving only around 90 mm of growing-season rainfall — the trials still delivered valuable early insights.

This episode explores the first-year results from the crop rotation and legume integration trial, along with additional demonstrations including wheat–vetch intercropping with varying vetch termination timings and a MAP fertiliser rate demonstration.

📄 Year 1 Results Fact Sheet: Millewa Fact Sheet Year 1
📋 Legume based cropping systems project page: Legume Based Cropping Systems - Mallee Sustainable Farming

This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.

Mallee Sustainable Farming Research Officer Louise Brok shares insights from the Millewa long-term crop rotation trial established in 2025 in the Victorian Mallee. The trial is evaluating pulse-inclusive farming systems, featuring 50% legumes across five fully phased rotations over four years. The project is investigating profitability, nitrogen fixation and fertiliser requirements, and groundcover retention. Designed for the low-organic-carbon sandy soils of the region, the work aims to test and validate farming systems that improve both productivity and resilience in high-risk environments.
Despite an extremely dry 2025 season &mdash; with crops dry sown on 5 May and receiving only around 90 mm of growing-season rainfall &mdash; the trials still delivered valuable early insights.
This episode explores the first-year results from the crop rotation and legume integration trial, along with additional demonstrations including wheat&ndash;vetch intercropping with varying vetch termination timings and a MAP fertiliser rate demonstration.
📄 Year 1 Results Fact Sheet:&nbsp;<a href="https://msfp.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Millewa-Fact-Sheet-Year-1.pdf">Millewa Fact Sheet Year 1</a> 📋 Legume based cropping systems project page: <a href="https://msfp.org.au/projects/legume-based-cropping-systems/">Legume Based Cropping Systems - Mallee Sustainable Farming</a>
This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.

Exploring Crop Rotation and Legume Integration: Year 1 Insights from the Millewa - with Louise Brok

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast 🎙️, recorded at the March MSF Mallee Research Updates, Ed Scott explores how carbon farming and emissions accounting are evolving in Australian agriculture — and what it means at the farm gate.

Ed discusses the shift from carbon credits toward sustainability reporting and Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and why grain buyers and supply chains are increasingly focused on emissions intensity. He also explains how tools like the GAF Tool and AIA platform can help growers benchmark performance over 3–5 years.

The conversation highlights practical opportunities to reduce emissions while maintaining profitability, including improving nitrogen efficiency, incorporating legumes, increasing yield potential, and strengthening on-farm data capture and documentation. Ed also links emissions intensity to precision agriculture, discussing variable rate inputs, layering data such as yield, protein, NDVI and soil tests, and the emerging market programs and incentives shaping the future of farming.

Emissions Accounting Tools:
Greenhouse Accounting Frameworks (GAF) for Australian Primary Industries: Tools | Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre
AIA Environmental Accounting Platform: Home | AIA EAP

This podcast episode of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program is supported by Mallee CMA and Mallee Sustainable Farming, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Victorian Government.

In this episode of the MSF Farm Talk podcast 🎙️, recorded at the March MSF Mallee Research Updates, Ed Scott explores how carbon farming and emissions accounting are evolving in Australian agriculture &mdash; and what it means at the farm gate.
Ed discusses the shift from carbon credits toward sustainability reporting and Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and why grain buyers and supply chains are increasingly focused on emissions intensity. He also explains how tools like the GAF Tool and AIA platform can help growers benchmark performance over 3&ndash;5 years.
The conversation highlights practical opportunities to reduce emissions while maintaining profitability, including improving nitrogen efficiency, incorporating legumes, increasing yield potential, and strengthening on-farm data capture and documentation. Ed also links emissions intensity to precision agriculture, discussing variable rate inputs, layering data such as yield, protein, NDVI and soil tests, and the emerging market programs and incentives shaping the future of farming.
Emissions Accounting Tools: Greenhouse Accounting Frameworks (GAF) for Australian Primary Industries:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.piccc.org.au/resources/Tools">Tools | Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre</a> AIA Environmental Accounting Platform: <a href="https://www.aiaeap.com/">Home | AIA EAP</a>
This podcast episode of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program is supported by Mallee CMA and Mallee Sustainable Farming, through funding from the Australian Government&rsquo;s Future Drought Fund and the Victorian Government.

Test Strips, Tough Seasons: What VRT Is Really Delivering

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